^::^^'^^B^V'^ 


^ 


LIBRARY 

OF  TIIK 

University  of  California. 

Mrs.  SARAH  P.  WALSWORTH. 

Received  October,  i8g4. 
Accessions  No.S'jS'SZ-      ^^''^^^  ^^' 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/christhisreligioOOreidrich 


CHRIST   AND    HIS    RELIGION. 


BOOKS  BY  THE  REV,  JOHN  REID. 


I.  Voices  of  the  Soul  Answered  in  God. 

Fourth  Thousand.     12 mo.     $1.75. 

"It  is  really  refreshing  in  this  day  of  flashy  religious  catch-pennies 
and  pious  platitudes,  to  meet  with  a  calm,  devout,  profound  thinker, 
who  can  turn  a  man  away  from  the  noisy  excitements  about  him, 
and  lead  him  down  into  the  depths  of  his  own  soul  to  behold  the 
wonders  there  going  on  within  him." — Christian  Commonwealth. 

"That  the  soul  of  man  can  find  its  hopes  realized,  its  wants  satis- 
fied, its  fears  quieted,  and  its  measure  filled  in  (iod,  and  in  God 
alone,  is  the  leading  thought  of  this  calm  and  powerful  book.  The 
thought  is  not  new,  but  its  presentation  is  most  serious,  original,  and 
suggestive." — N.  Y.  Obscmer. 

"  It  is  a  work  of  originality  and  power.  No  educated  person,  be 
he  Christian  or  skeptic,  will  fail  to  read  the  book  through  if  he  be- 
gins W'—Rev.  Dr.  Shedd. 

II.  Footprints  of  Sorrow. 

Second  Thousand.      i2mo.     %2.oo. 

"  The  author  gives  gold  fresh  coined  in  the  mint  of  his  own  mind. 
He  considers  his  subject  under  all  its  aspects,  first  showing  the 
sources  of  sorrow,  then  the  varieties  of  form  it  assumes  and  its  bene- 
fits and  consolations.  He  has  evidently  learned  from  personal  ex- 
perience the  meaning  of  the  term,  and  also  where  alone  the  healing 
balm  can  be  found.  The  beauty  and  simplicity  of  its  style,  and  the 
vein  of  touching  sympathy  that  runs  through  its  pages,  must  make 
it  a  welcome  volume  to  all  sorrowing  and  afflicted  readers.  Its  ex- 
quisite typographical  neatness  is  as  refreshing  to  the  eye  as  its  con- 
tents are  to  the  heart.  It  merits  a  large  circulation." — Christian 
Intelligencer. 

III.  Christ  and  His  Religion. 


ROBERT  CARTER  &  BROTHERS. 


Christ  and  his  Religion. 


BY 

REV.   JOHN   REID, 

AUTHOR    OF   "VOICES    OF    THE    SOUL   ANSWERED    IN    GOD,"   ETC. 


"We  must  fly  to  our  beloved  fatherland.  There  is  the  Father,  there  our 
all.  What  fleet  or  flight  shall  convey  us  thither?  Our  way  is  to  become  like 
God." — Plotinus. 

"/  am  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life." — Christ. 


^irivi 


New   York: 
ROBERT  CARTER  AND  BROTHERS, 

530  Broadway. 
1880. 


Copyright,  1880, 
By  Robert  Carter  &  Brothers. 


Cambridge:  st.  johnland 

press  of  stereotype  foundry, 

john  wilson  and  son.  suffolk  co.,  n.  y. 


COl^TENTS. 


CHAPTER   I. 

CHKIST   IS    CHEISTIANITT. 

Can  not  describe  Christ. — His  moral  grandeur. — Not  like 
the  Jewish  people. — Saw  things  as  they  are. — ^Never  de- 
spises men. — ^Not  troubled  with  mysteries. — His  intellect- 
ual character. — Simplicity. — Devotional  spirit. — No  excite- 
ment.— His  sweetness. — No  mention  of  his  conscience. — 
Great  by  sinking. — His  meekness. — Gentleness. — Tender- 
ness. —  Self  -  denial. —  No  anxiety  about  eternity.  —  Pos- 
sessed all  moral  traits. — Difficult  to  understand  his  char- 
acter because  it  is  finished. — He  had  surprises  of  charac- 
ter.— He  is  the  only  person  I  am  satisfied  with. — Always 
reached  his  ideal 11 

CHAPTER  n. 

CHBIST  IS  ETTHEB  A  DIVINE  SAVIOUB  AND  CHEISTIANITY  IS  TRUE,   OB 
HE  IS  A  DARING  IMPOSTOR  AND    CHBISTIANITY  IS  FALSE. 

Supernatural  was  natural  to  Christ. — His  miracles  not  like 
the  spurious. — Unity  of  his  life. — Divine-human  charac- 
ter.— Redemptive  consciousness. — Idea  of  redemption  for 
a  world  proves  it  divine. — The  divine  at  times  held  in 
abeyance. — Was  the  last  moment  of  Christ  dark  or  bright? 
— Was  there  progress  in  his  idea  of  redemption? — To  view 
Christ  as  divine-human  explains  all  that  relates  to  him  in 
the  New  Testament. — The  holiest  men  are  found  among 
those  who  believe  in  his  divinity. — If  Christ  merely  a 
man,  yet  spoke  as  if  he  were  God,  he  was  an  impostor. — 
Still,  how  could  he  be  sinless,  and  also  an  impostor? — He 
is  true  God  and  Saviour 38 


vi  Contents. 

CHAPTEK   m. 

STrPBENATUEAIi   BEGINNING   OF  THE    EELIGION  OF  CHEIST  IN 
THE    SOUL. 

I.  Divine  light  for  the  mind.— 1.  A  consciousness  of  God. 
— 2.  Of  eternity.— 3.  Of  accountability. — 4.  Of  sin. — 5.  Of 
misery. — 6.  Of  moral  weakness. — 7.  Of  the  way  to  be 
saved.— II.  Divine  life  for  the  heart.— 1.  This  produces 
a  holy  tendency. — 2.  Holy  taste. — 3.  Holy  desire.— 4. 
Holy  love. — 5.  Spontaneity  marking  all  these. — Use  of 
second  causes  in  conversion. — All  holy  beings  have  life 
from  the  spirit. — HE.  Divine  liberty  for  the  will. — The 
will  by  nature  self-determined  to  evil. — A  holy  determi- 
nation in  conversion. — May  be  a  struggle  in  liberating  the 
will. — Regeneration  culminates  in  faith. — Actions  in  the 
mind. — Character  viewed  as  an  act C4 


CHAPTER   rV. 

MOEAUTT    AND    THE    EELIGION    OF    CHRIST    AS    DISTINGUISHED    FEOM 
EACH  OTHEE. 

First,  what  is  implied  in  morality? — 1.  An  idea  of  a  moral 
law. — 2.  A  feeling  of  obligation  to  keep  the  law. — 3.  An 
attempt  to  keep  the  law. — Secondly,  what  is  implied  in 
religion? — 1.  An  idea  of  God. — 2.  A  feeling  of  union  with 
God  through  Christ.— 3.  Complete  self-devotement  to  God 
through  Christ.— Morality  has  no  element  that  satisfies 
the  law. — Religion  is  redemptive. — Contrast  between  Dr. 
Gorden  the  moralist  and  Dr.  Gorden  the  Christian.— 
Sceptical  element  in  morality. — Attempt  to  trust  in  mo- 
rality and  also  in  God 89 

CHAPTER  V. 

ETHICS  OF  CHEIST  AS   THEY  CHAEACTEKIZE  HIS  EELIGION. 

Leading  systems  of  human  ethics  can  be  traced  to  leading 
faculties  of  the  mind.— Christian  ethics  demand  a  right 


Contents.  vii 

state  of  heart. — Love  to  God. — Love  to  Christ. — Humility. 
— Not  a  system,  but  principles. — Perfection  in  a  person 
rather  than  in  an  ideal. — Obligation  deepened  by  ethics 
of  Christ. — Motives  multiplied. — Christian  ethics  the  ideal 
ethics 104 

CHAPTER   VI. 

WOESHIP  AS  A  CENTEAL   PEATUEE    OP    THE    RELIGION  OF  CHEIST. 

Simplicity  of  Christian  worship. — Vivid  conception  of  God 
necessary  to  right  worship. — Preaching  tends  to  produce 
this. — Also  thoughtful  reading  of  Scripture. — Worship  re- 
demptive.— Christian  emotions  find  their  outlet  in  wor- 
ship.— Prayer  distinct  and  burdensome. — Awe  and  free- 
dom in  it. — Praise. — Worship  not  a  means,  but  an  end. — 
Music 122 

CHAPTER  Vn. 

DECAY  IN  THE  EELIGION  OF   CHKIST  FBOM  CAUSES  IN  HUMAN 
NATUEE. 

L  Decay  from  evils  of  the  heart. — 1.  From  indifference. — 2. 
Love  of  ease. — 3.  Carelessness. — 4.  Attractive  sin. — 5.  Sec- 
ular spirit. — 6.  Wayward  imagination. — 7.  Besetting  sin. 
—8.  Want  of  simplicity. — 9.  Not  acting  out  pure  feel- 
ings.— 10.  The  enmity  of  sin. — IE.  Decay  from  errors  of 
the  mind. — 1.  From  misguided  mental  enthusiasm. — 2. 
False  philosophy. — 3.  Mere  abstract  thinking. — 4.  Rever- 
ence for  secondary  things. — 5.  Diplomatic  piety. — 6.  Al- 
lowing unconverted  men  to  unite  with  the  Church. — 
m.  Decay  from  a  deceived  conscience. — 1.  Conscience 
deceived  by  ignorance, — 2.  By  natural  traits  which  resem- 
ble the  spiritual. — 3.  By  prejudice. — i.  By  near  relation- 
ship.— 5.  By  evil  habit. — 6.  By  tenacity  in  holding  on  to 
a  wrong  opinion. — 7.  By  selfishness.— 8.  By  presenting 
a  good  reason  when  a  bad  one  governs. — 9.  By  follow- 
ing a  first  impulse. — 10.  By  following  a  cool  judgment. — 
11.  By  good  running  into  evil ,,     144 


viii  Contents. 

CHAPTEB  vm. 

MEANS  TO  AEEEST  DECAY  IN  THE   EEUGION  Or   CHKIST. 

I.  A  view  of  the  piety  of  the  early  Christians  a  means  to  ar- 
rest decay  in  religion. — Their  piety  characterized  by  love. 
— Simplicity. — Firm  persuasion  of  the  truth. — Steadfast- 
ness.— Christly  element. — Cheerfulness. — ^A  critical  esti- 
mate of  their  character. — The  mind  inspired  by  it. — 
n.  Direct  method  of  arresting  decay  in  religion. — Ee- 
calling  a  bright  past-vivid  conception  of  truth. — Repro- 
duction of  our  first  experience. — Cultivating  the  power  to 
receive. — The  power  to  form. — Principle  governing 167 

CHAPTER  IX. 

liAWS  OP  PROGRESS  IN  THE    RELIGION   OF  CHRIST. 

First  law  of  progress:  development  through  the  medium  of 
groups. -^Second  law  of  progress:  development  threefold. 
— Third  law  of  progress:  development  by  epochs. — Fourth 
law  of  progress:  development  antithetic. — Fifth  law  of 
progress:  development  from  fewness  to  manifoldness 197 

CHAPTER  X. 

TO  ADVANCE  IN  THE  REUGION  OF  CHRIST  DEMANDS  STRENUOUS 
EFFORT. 

A  law  of  limitation  in  the  bestowment  of  divine  grace,  mak- 
ing it  necessary  to  struggle, — Profit  and  pleasure  powers 
in  earthly  life,  but  not  in  religion. — Must  work  through 
pain. — Must  do  what  we  do  not  want  to  do. — Must  not  be 
irritated. — Must  overcome  temptation. — Cultivate  moral 
indignation. — Also  courage. — Must  benefit  others  with 
what  we  have.— Must  have  the  religion  of  missions. — 
Church  to  represent  the  life  of  Christ 218 


Contents.  ix 

CHAPTER   XI. 

DrSdPIilNl!   BEST    EFFECTED    IN    THE    EELIGION    OF    CHEIST    BY    THOB- 
OUGHNESS  IN  ONE   OB  TWO  THINGS. 

The  thoTiglit  illustrated  in  the  training  of  the  intellect. — 
Applied  to  the  formation  of  Christian  character. — First,  a 
substantial  character  formed  by  thoroughness  in  the  doc- 
trines of  sin  and  of  God. — Secondly,  by  the  development 
of  leading  states  of  mind. — As  in  the  sense  of  the  infinite, 
the  consciousness  of  salvation,  and  the  habit  of  self-for- 
getfulness. — 'SVhile  the  Bible  looks  to  various  duties,  it 
depends  mainly  on  moral  states. — In  all  false  religions 
the  attention  fixed  on  a  round  of  services 236 

CHAPTER    Xn. 

NON-VOLUNTAEY  INFLUENCE   AS  AFFECTING  THE  BEUGION  OF  CHEIST. 

Religion  affected  by  nature. — Temperament. — Hunger. — 
The  countenance. — Passive  virtues. — Laws  of  association. 
— Home.— Trouble. — Death. — A  graveyard. — The  inevita- 
ble.— A  spiritual  atmosphere 254 

CHAPTER   Xni. 

CONCEAIiED    GEEATNESS    AN    ADVANCED    PHASE    OF    THE    EEUGION    OF 
CHBIST. 

Three  grades  of  pious  men:  the  inferior,  the  medium,  the 
superior. — Hidden  intellectual  life.  — Hidden  religious 
life.  —  Our  feelings,  repentings,  and  aspirations  not 
seen. — Great  power  may  come  from  the  untold  wealth 
of  a  deeply  pious  mind. — Success  not  measured  by  what 
we  see. — Inward  repose. — Character  not  complete  that  is 
formed  by  facts. — Ideal  element  needed.— An  experience 
so  deep  that  it  shades  off  into  the  indefinite. — Danger 
that  outward  goodness  will  make  one  lose  sight  of  the 
inner  life.— Christ  far  greater  than  he  seemed  to  be   ...  279 


x:  Contents. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

BLESSEDNESS  AS  FLOWINQ  FROM  THE  EEUGION  OF  CHEKT 

L  Blessedness  from  right  emotion. — From  the  sense  of 
freedom.  —  The  working  of  love.  —  Singleness  of  the 
spiritual.  —  The  divine  in  character. — 11.  Blessedness 
from  right  activity. — The  unoccupied  mind  restless. — 
Our  joy  does  not  have  the  proper  relish  because  activity 
not  full  volumed. — III.  Blessedness  from  right  passivity. 
Passive  states  of  goodness. — We  look  forward  to  a  season 
of  repose, — I  must  be  able  to  find  peace  by  facing  the 
soul. — Eternal  toil  not  the  ultimate  life, — There  is  a  sab- 
bath of  mind. — IV.  Blessedness  from  the  attainment  of  a 
right  end. — The  thought  hinted  at  in  nature. — Joy  be- 
cause the  great  question  of  life  is  settled. — Joy  from  par- 
don.— We  have  delight  when  a  noble  work  is  finished.— 
To  find  the  permanent  is  to  rest. — V.  Blessedness  from  a 
right  state  of  oneness. — To  detect  a  principle  of  unity  is 
satisfying, — Blessedness  springs  from  oneness  with  self. 
— Oneness  with  God. — Oneness  with  the  holy  intelli- 
gences of  heaven 303 


&0- 


CHRIST  AND  HIS  RELIGION. 


CHAPTER   I. 

CHRIST  IS  CHRISTIANITY. 

'T^HERE  is  floating  around  at  present  what 
may  be  called  the  religion  of  admira- 
tion. This  admiration  is  awakened  by  the 
excellencies  of  Christ  and  his  religion.  The 
entire  mind  of  Christendom  has  been  eleva- 
ted by  the  continuous  presence  of  a  great 
person  and  a  great  life.  Even  sceptical  men 
see  a  glory  which  they  praise,  and  earthly 
men  see  a  heavenliness  which  makes  them 
sigh.  There  is  a  class  of  ultimate  concep- 
tions in  Christianity,  not  abstract,  but  with 
form  and  life,  and  these  charm  the  creaturely 
mind.  The  idea  of  order  is  called  out  by  the 
sight  of  absolute  harmony.  We  seem  to  be 
looking  at  the  working  of  God,  and  seem  to 
be  hearing  the  words  of  the  divine  language. 
The  thought  of  the  limitless  strikes  us  with 
new  power.  During  one  moment  our  na- 
ture is  expanded,  while  during  the  next  mo- 


12  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

ment  we  sink  into  nothingness.  The  Man  of 
men  appears  to  us  as  the  ultimate  Being. 
His  shadow  protects  us.  In  his  presence  we 
are  silent.  Thoughtful  respecting  his  nature, 
we  advance.  Life  comes  to  us  from  his 
heart. 

All  about  Christ  is  striking.  We  have  to 
escape  from  ourselves  in  order  to  find  him. 
In  a  prosaic  manner  we  can  not  reach  his 
life.  We  have  to  think  of  him  ideally,  as 
weU  as  through  the  medium  of  a  spiritual 
understanding,  in  order  to  approach  some- 
what his  actual  existence.  At  the  best  we 
never  stand  beside  him  and  see  across  his 
wonderful  movements.  There  is  before  us 
a  great  ocean;  and  only  a  part  of  it  have  we 
explored.  We  may  think  of  Christ  all  our 
days,  and  at  the  close  of  them  know  but 
little  about  him.  He  is  a  sea  that  never 
has  been  sounded.  That  sea  is  the  Pacific 
of  the  universe.  It  is  the  great  ocean  of 
God.  No  storms  break  over  it.  No  con- 
flicting currents  press  through  it.  Night  does 
not  darken  it.  Clouds  do  not  overhang  it. 
The  light  of  a  divine  day  sparkles  on  its 
bosom.  Its  motion  reminds  one  of  a  bless- 
edness that  is  complete. 


Christ  is  Christianity.  13 

There  was  a  moral  grandeur  about  the  hfe 
of  Christ.  It  makes  no  difference  in  what 
circumstances  we  find  him — painful  or  pleas- 
ant, with  the  rich  or  the  poor,  with  the  igno- 
rant or  the  educated — his  moral  grandeur 
never  departs.  He  does  not  leap  into  a  state 
of  abandon,  as  sometimes  the  best  of  men 
will  do,  neither  is  there  an  air  of  pomp  or 
stiffness  surrounding  him.  He  does  not  find 
it  necessary  to  stand  upon  his  dignity,  and 
yet  he  is  never  lawless  in  his  manner.  There 
is  nothing  of  the  eccentric  about  him.  He 
never  uttered  words  which  brought  down  the 
house  in  a  roar  of  laughter.  The  majesty  of 
Christ  is  the  majesty  of  absolute  truth  and 
absolute  righteousness.  The  glory  of  his 
character  seems  like  the  morning  of  heaven; 
as  if  the  blessedness  of  God  had  found  a 
home  in  his  heart,  and  the  beauty  of  God 
were  seen  in  every  part  of  his  being. 

It  is  an  entrancing  sight  to  see  the  moon 
come  forth  from  the  summit  of  a  snow- 
capped mountain,  or  to  see  it  rise  out  of 
the  ocean  on  the  verge  of  the  horizon,  or 
to  behold  it  burst  forth  from  the  midst  of 
dark  and  angry  clouds.  Christ  rises  in  this 
way  out  of  the  midst  of  an  obstinate  and 


oar  , 


14  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

perverted  race.  Though  a  Jew,  he  seems 
not  to  belong  to  that  people.  His  lan- 
guage, figures  of  speech,  form  of  worship, 
and  a  few  other  characteristics,  are  about 
all  that  mark  him  off  as  strictly  Jewish. 
He  had  a  spontaneity  of  development  that 
never  has  been  seen  in  any  mere  man. 
There  were  no  extrinsic  follies  hanging 
around  him, — no  whims,  prejudices,  or  su- 
perstitions. 

Christ  did  many  things  that  horrified  the 
Jewish  people.  He  seemed  to  them  to  be 
a  great  deceiver;  one  that  was  doing  his 
best  to  lead  men  to  destruction;  one  that 
must  be  watched,  secured,  and  condemned. 
Then  what  strange  truth  he  announced  in 
their  hearing!  How  they  were  startled  by 
it !  How  many  times  they  were  enraged ! 
How  they  grew  worse  instead  of  better 
under  his  preaching!  Even  some  of  his 
professed  disciples  would  leave  him,  think- 
ing that  he  was  unreasonable;  that  he  was 
doing  evil  instead  of  good;  that  he  did  not 
understand  the  signs  of  the  times;  that  he 
did  not  seem  to  know  the  people  among 
whom  he  lived.  There  was  a  great  deal 
of  secret   as   well   as   public  murmuring   in 


Christ  is  Christianity.  15 

regard  to  his  ways,  showing  that  he  did 
not  harmonize  with  the  men  of  his  own 
land  and  time. 

Christ  had  the  faculty  of  seeing  things 
as  they  are.  He  did  not  rest  with  appear- 
ances. He  lived  in  the  midst  of  the  real. 
Men  and  things  stood  right  before  him:  he 
could  see  them  with  a  kind  of  direct  vision. 
This  was  not  the  case  with  him  during 
some  favored  hour:  all  through  the  hours 
his  eye  was  fastened  on  the  real.  Men 
might  come  to  him  with  great  art  intending 
to  entrap  him,  but  with  a  single  glance  he 
sees  through  their  manner  and  their  schemes. 
That  which  gave  weight  to  all  that  Christ 
spoke  with  reference  to  the  character  of 
men,  was  the  fact  that  he  did  not  view 
them  as  they  appeared  to  be,  but  as  they 
were  in  their  heart.  This  dealing  with  real 
persons,  and  not  with  persons  as  they  were 
silvered  over  for  the  occasion,  startled  many, 
and  broke  through  the  conventionalisms  of 
society. 

Christ  looked  at  every  thing  in  this  real- 
istic way.  All  kinds  of  thoughts  came  forth 
from  their  hiding  places;  came  forth  trem- 
bling into  the  light;  and  he  saw  them  and 


i6  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

announced  them  with  all  the  sharpness  of 
their  identity.  ]N"o  doubt  the  crowds  of 
curious  people  who  gathered  around  him 
were  frequently  searched  as  they  heard  his 
direct  statements.  He  must  have  seemed  to 
many  of  them  as  a  prophet  of  God.  When 
he  spoke  of  sin  and  holiness,  death  and 
judgment,  heaven  and  hell,  how  much  they 
meant !  Souls  and  subjects  seemed  to  be 
dissected  by  him.  It  is  no  wonder  that 
''the  people  marvelled  greatly." 

Although  Christ  looked  straight  into  souls, 
and  of  course  saw  a  great  deal  of  wicked- 
ness, he  is  never  misanthropic.  In  every  pos- 
sible way  men  tried  to  entrap  him,  man- 
ifesting hypocrisy  and  deadly  hate,  yet  no 
symptom  of  ill-will  appears  on  his  part. 
Some  truly  pious  persons  are  apt  to  look 
with  contempt  on  certain  classes.  It  is  not 
easy  to  treat  respectfully  the  fickle  multi- 
tude with  their  follies  and  spites,  the  un- 
derhanded with  their  pretence  of  fairness, 
the  great  men  who  are  small,  the  ignorant 
who  are  proud,  the  friend  who  becomes 
an  enemy.  It  is  true  that  Christ  hated 
sin;  hated  it  as  no  man  ever  did;  but 
he  could  do  that  without  having  any  feeling 


Christ  is  Christianity.  17 

of  malice  against  the  sinner.  No  mere  out- 
ward obeisance  did  he  pay  to  the  wicked, 
while  enmity  lurked  in  his  heart.  He  nev- 
er tried  to  catch  men  by  appealing  to  their 
weaknesses,  that  he  might  scorn  them  af- 
ter they  had  been  beguiled  by  his  subtilty. 
He  honored  all  because  of  their  relation  to 
God  and  immortality.  He  had  no  feeling 
of  caste.  He  could  mingle  with  pubhcans 
and  sinners  in  order  to  benefit  them.  The 
poor  and  illiterate  children  of  Grod  he  wel- 
comed as  warmly  as  he  did  the  rich  and 
the  educated  disciples. 

Men  who  have  reached  any  maturity  of 
intellect  are  troubled  more  or  less  with  the 
mystei^ious  things  which  belong  to  the  divine 
system.  There  are  seeming  confusions  that 
we  can  not  harmonize,  and  apparent  con- 
tradictions that  we  can  not  reconcile.  The 
mind  therefore  wanders  as  one  who  has  lost 
his  way,  and  doubts  by  reason  of  the  strange 
things  which  strike  the  soul.  Wrong  feel- 
ings arise  in  the  heart;  perplexity  torments 
the  understanding;  unhappiness  eats  into  the 
troubled  spirit.  Now,  nothing  of  this  kind 
of  experience  is  seen  in  Christ.  He  seems 
to  have  been  able  to  look  over  the  system 


i8  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

of  God,  finding  nothing  in  that  system  that 
threw  him  into  a  state  of  doubt.  Where  to 
us  there  is  intricacy,  to  him  there  was  plain- 
ness. He  had  the  faculty  of  generalization 
as  we  have  not.  He  could  seize  upon  a 
principle  of  unity  that  gathered  up  into  it- 
self facts  and  truths  that  we  either  do  not 
see,  or  do  not  understand  when  we  do  see. 
The  intuition  and  grasp  of  a  sinless  mind 
are  very  different  from  the  same  traits  in  a 
mind  that  is  fallen.  The  logic  of  holiness  is 
a  great  harmonizer,  while  sin  is  a  great  di- 
vider. Christ  did  not  attempt  to  explain 
away  the  dark  features  of  the  creation  as 
some  wise  men  have  attempted  to  do,  hop- 
ing by  such  means  to  find  rest.  If  sin  and 
misery  are  puzzles,  he  does  not  try  to  lessen 
the  misery  by  lessening  the  sin.  He  rather 
holds  up  to  view  the  exceeding  malice  of 
depravity,  and  intensifies  the  mental  pain  in- 
stead of  weakening  it.  His  high  attitude  of 
life,  standing  on  the  mountain  summit  of 
being,  while  we  are  away  down  in  the  val- 
leys below,  enabled  him  to  take  in  a  mul- 
titude of  particulars,  which,  if  we  could  be- 
hold them,  would  quiet  us,  even  as  they 
quieted  him.     If  we  had  the  character  and 


Christ  is  Christianity.  19 

standpoint  of  Jesus,  our  perplexities  would 
give  way  to  his  peace:  faith  would  rest  in  a 
wisdom  that  is  divine,  and  in  a  goodness 
that  is  perfect. 

There  was  a  mental  character  to  Christ  that 
was  peculiar  to  himself  Though  mingling 
with  men,  he  seemed  to  have  made  his  home 
among  the  stars;  breathed  there  the  atmos- 
phere of  God;  was  therefore  touched  by 
divine  powers;  his  understanding  in  this 
way  receiving  a  purity  that  stamped  it  with 
singularity,  causing  it  to  be  out  of  the 
plane  of  even  the  best  minds  of  the  race. 
He  had  laws  of  association  that  connected 
themselves  with  the  higher  worlds  of  exist- 
ence; and  these  same  laws  fastening  them- 
selves to  the  earth  and  man,  started  trains 
of  thinking  that  had  all  around  them  a 
celestial  radiance.  His  attachment  to  the 
whole  range  of  truth  threw  a  sanctity  over 
his  understanding,  as  if  that  same  under- 
standing had  been  formed  out  of  the  eter- 
nal ideas,  the  archetypes  of  the  creation 
seeming  there  to  be  at  home.  It  is  evident 
also  that  the  poetical  mind  belonged  to 
Christ.  Not  merely  do  we  see  this  poeti- 
cal mind  in  the  parables  which  he  uttered, 


20  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

but  in  the  rhythm  of  his  common  language, 
in  the  harmony  of  his  thoughts,  and  in  the 
music  that  chanted  through  his  Hfe.  His 
soul  seemed  to  be  a  poem;  a  poem  that 
related  to  God  and  man,  to  time  and  eternity; 
having  in  it  the  deep  wail  of  grief,  and  the 
heaven  of  joy. 

There  is  a  beautiful  simplicity  in  the  char- 
acter of  Christ.  Nothing  appears  that  is 
forced.  There  is  a  certain  freedom  and  ease 
that  strike  one  favorably.  His  varied  per- 
fections have  as  much  naturalness  about  them 
as  the  fruit  of  a  tree.  His  single  aim,  which 
ran  through  the  whole  of  his  life,  made  his 
character  to  be  definite  and  unmixed.  Al- 
though he  may  appear  strange  to  us,  he 
never  appears  strange  to  himself.  He  never 
goes  so  far  in  goodness  as  to  astonish  him- 
self. He  has  no  favored  hour  during  which 
he  performs  a  class  of  duties  that  are  remem- 
bered ever  after  as  out  of  the  range  of  his 
common  life.  The  virtues  of  Jesus  stream 
forth  from  his  soul  with  as  much  beauty  and 
power  as  the  rays  of  light  stream  forth  from 
the  sun.  In  fact  his  character  has  such 
singleness  and  delicacy  that  we  think  of 
it  as  formed  out  of  the  unbroken   rays   of 


Christ  is  Christianity.  21 

light.     There  is  an  ethereal  cast  to  it  which 
reminds  us  of  heaven  and  of  G-od. 

His  soul  is  always  in  a  devotional  state. 
He  never  loses  this  by  extraordinary  cares 
and  labors.  Whether  he  works  or  worships 
the  devotional  spirit  is  always  fresh  and 
fervent.  To  commune  with  God  was  the 
normal  state  of  his  being.  A  night  in  prayer 
was  only  a  chapter  of  that  volume  of  suppli- 
cation which  was  uttered  by  his  heart  during 
all  the  days  of  his  life.  Whether  in  syna- 
gogue, or  by  the  rushing  waters  of  Jordan; 
among  the  busy  crowds  of  men,  or  in  the 
deep  solitudes  of  the  desert;  in  the  humble 
dwellings  of  the  poor,  or  dying  in  agony 
on  the  cross — prayer  ascended  from  his  soul 
as  the  vapor  ascends  from  the  infinite  sea. 
^"0  cry  ever  entered  heaven  like  that  which 
Jesus  uttered,  and  no  answer  ever  came 
down  to  bless  men  hke  that  which  followed 
his  supplication.  As  he  had  no  sins  of  his 
own  that  needed  forgiveness,  he  could  only 
ask  that  pardon  might  be  extended  to  oth- 
ers. His  prayer  always  went  clear  up  to 
Grod;  never  hindered  by  doubts  and  fears. 
His  dependence  was  complete;  death  could 
not  shake  it.     The  echoes  of  his  prayer  even 


22  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

now  seem  to  be  sounding  through  our  souls, 
and  answers  come  down  upon  us  Hke  the 
dew  that  falls  upon  the  hill  of  Zion.  On 
the  stormy  days  of  life  some  favored  mes- 
sage may  reach  us,  as  if  a  postman  had  come 
with  it  from  the  climes  of  God.  Christ's 
soul  is  full  of  prayers  for  us  all,  and  to- 
kens of  his  love  may  reach  us  before  we 
pass  away. 

The  life  of  Jesus  was  not  struck  upon  a 
high  key  of  excitement.  There  was  courage, 
power,  majesty;  but  nothing  of  the  feverish 
and  the  eruptive.  It  was  not  monotonous 
and  tame.  There  were  hills  and  valleys  to 
diversify  it;  then  straight  pathways,  with 
flowers  and  trees  of  life  planted  on  either 
side  of  them.  Ko  doubt  there  was  fire  in  the 
character  of  Christ,  a  divine  flame,  but  it  was 
finely  controlled.  He  does  not  dash  off  with 
impetuosity  one  hour,  and  sink  into  languor 
the  next.  He  was  earnest  without  being 
fierce,  and  calm  without  being  dull.  'No  one 
could  think  of  him  as  a  mere  religious  enthu- 
siast. He  is  always  master  of  himself,  and 
master  of  the  situation  in  which  he  may  be 
placed.  There  were  times  when  he  seemed 
to  be  terrible  with  justice,  but  the  terrible- 


Christ  is  Christianity.  23 

ness  was  divine.  In  his  style  of  address 
there  was  nothing  of  the  flaming  orator. 
There  was  power,  but  it  was  as  near  as  pos- 
sible the  simple  power  of  truth  and  goodness: 
as  if  Truth  and  Goodness  themselves  were 
speaking.  Whatever  he  may  be  doing  and 
whatever  he  may  be  saying,  he  never  ex- 
hausts the  spiritual  contents  of  his  being. 

There  was  a  certain  sweetness  about  Jesus 
which  gave  a  coloring  and  character  to  all 
that  he  did.  Men  are  apt  to  emphasize  their 
great  efforts:  Christ  marched  forward  very 
much  like  Grod.  ' '  He  did  not  strive  nor  cry, 
neither  was  his  voice  heard  in  the  streets. '^ 
Persons  ' '  wondered  at  the  gracious  words 
which  proceeded  out  of  his  mouth."  We 
can  not  speak  of  Christ  as  being  either 
saintly  or  seraphic.  His  righteousness  had 
all  the  peculiarity  of  his  own  nature.  To  say 
that  he  was  a  great  religious  genius  has  no 
meaning:  as  well  say  that  he  was  a  great  re- 
ligious naturalist.  There  was  nothing  of  the 
ascetic  about  him:  he  was  a  veritable  man 
among  men.  Sanctimoniousness  does  not 
appear  in  his  character.  He  does  not  play 
with  pious  words.  He  was  not  distant  and 
morose;  yet  to  say  that  he  was  genial  would 


24  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

not  express  the  exact  truth.  There  was  a 
something  about  him  which  gave  character  to 
all  his  actions;  and  that  something  we  do  not 
possess.  He  lived  in  an  atmosphere  that  does 
not  surround  us.  He  seems  like  a  wondrous 
cloud  that  had  come  from  the  skies  of  eter- 
nity. Some  parts  are  exceedingly  radiant 
with  heavenly  glory,  so  that  palaces  of  light 
can  be  seen  in  it,  as  if  they  were  the  habita- 
tions of  the  angels  or  the  homes  of  the  saved. 
Other  parts  are  soft  and  serene  with  the 
chaste  beauty  of  a  morning  in  spring,  when 
the  air  is  full  of  life  and  full  of  peace.  A 
healing  power  seems  to  be  all  about  it  as 
if  the  virtues  of  Grod  crowned  it,  and  then 
dropped  down  lightly  upon  souls  as  the  dew 
upon  herbs.  Wherever  this  cloud  goes  there 
is  health.  The  fainting  spirit  by  it  is  quick- 
ened, and  the  disconsolate  soul  made  glad. 
The  gentle  rain  descends  from  it  like  that 
which  falls  in  heaven;  making  each  heart 
to  be  a  garden  of  the  Lord,  with  fruit  trees 
bearing  fruit,  and  flowers  fragrant  with  the 
odors  of  love.  On  the  scorching  days  of 
time  the  weary  dwell  under  its  shadow,  and 
are  bathed  as  in  a  celestial  fountain  of  life. 
Its  grandeur  never  departs,  neither  does  its 


Christ  is  Christianity.  25 

beauty  become  less.  It  is  the  joy  of  souls, 
and  the  treasury  of  all  that  is  good. 

No  writer  of  the  Bible  speaks  of  the 
conscience  of  Christ.  We  should  have  sup- 
posed that  one  who  acted  with  such  purity 
would  have  had  his  conscience  stand  out 
like  a  star  in  the  darkness,  or  like  a  light- 
house on  a  rock  amid  the  dangers  of  night. 
But,  perhaps,  a  reason  for  this  omission  is 
found  in  tlie  very  nature  of  Christ's  activ- 
ity. He  does  not  seem  to  act  so  much 
from  his  conscience  as  from  his  heart.  His 
whole  life  upon  earth  is  to  be  explained 
upon  the  principle  of  love.  It  was  not 
mere  duty  that  brought  him  here  and  that 
kept  him  here,  but  it  was  the  transcendent 
power  of  a  benevolent  affection.  He  stands 
forth  as  supremely  great,  because  he  mani- 
fested a  love  which  no  one  else  could  man- 
ifest. A  burden  rested  upon  him  which  no 
one  else  could  carry.  The  love  was  so  dis- 
interested that  it  took  the  body  and  soul 
of  Christ  and  delivered  them  up  as  a  sacri- 
fice to  God. 

There  was  a  greatness  in  him  that  re- 
sulted from  sinking,  rather  than  from  ris- 
ing.    When    a    man    by    continuous    effort 


26  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

ascends  from  a  low  position  in  life  to  one 
that  is  high,  we  are  accustomed  to  call 
such  a  person  great.  In  fact  that  is  the 
usual  way  that  men  become  great  among 
us.  The  greatness  of  Christ,  however,  con- 
sisted in  going  down;  and  according  to 
the  depth  of  his  descent,  was  seen  the 
height  of  his  greatness.  We  may  contem- 
plate his  whole  life  as  but  one  continuous 
act  of  condescension.  He  was  great  also 
by  attending  to  small  things:  men  deem 
themselves  great  by  attending  to  great 
things.  Real  greatness  is  not  seen  unless 
the  soul  of  it  is  humility.  The  sovereign 
who  becomes  a  slave  is  greater  than  the 
slave  who  becomes  a  sovereign.  To  be  a 
kingly  man  is  nobler  than  for  a  man  to  be 
a  king. 

A  considerable  amount  of  Christ's  char- 
acter was  summed  up  in  his  meekness. 
There  is  a  difficulty  in  attempting  to  repre- 
sent any  of  the  excellencies  of  his  life,  be- 
cause the  best  of  our  earthly  words  which 
express  these  excellencies  are  below  the 
standard.  These  best  words  are  applied  to 
certain  classes  of  men;  men  who  are  never 
complete    in    any    grace    whatsoever.     Sup- 


Christ  is  Christianity.  27 

pose  I  say  of  one  man  that  he  is  coura- 
geous, of  another  that  he  is  truthful,  and 
then  of  another  that  he  is  meek  —  all  this 
is  to  be  received  in  a  way  of  human  lim- 
•*  itation;  for  the  courage,  truthfulness,  and 
meekness  have  the  shadow  of  sin  thrown 
over  them.  The  language  of  heaven,  as 
that  describes  any  phase  of  goodness,  must 
have  a  wealth  of  meaning  that  is  not  found 
in  the  language  of  earth.  We  must  see  to 
it,  then,  that  when  we  speak  of  the  meek- 
ness of  Christ,  or  any  other  trait  of  his 
character,  we  view  it  as  far  above  any 
earthly  sample  that  may  be  called  by  the 
same  name.  That  which  we  call  meekness 
in  Jesus  is  not  so  much  a  single  character- 
istic, as  it  is  a  compound  of  beauties,  an 
extended  moral  state,  a  gem  that  sparkles 
with  many  colors.  When  we  start  with 
the  idea  that  Christ  was  meek,  we  picture 
to  ourselves  a  countenance  that  was  ra- 
diant with  the  soft  light  of  an  eternal 
morning.  We  always  remember  that  Jesus 
had  sorrow,  and  that  his  countenance  made 
known  that  fact.  His  meekness,  therefore, 
had  a  casting  of  grief,  as  when  the  sun 
goes    down    in    the    midst    of    blue    clouds. 


28  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

There  must  have  been  a  pecuhar  expres- 
sion about  his  eye.  The  image  of  meek- 
ness must  have  been  seen  there  as  in  a 
glass.  As  a  hving  soul  it  lived  there  as 
in  a  refined  body:  it  was  there  incarnate. 

We  think  also  of  the  gentleness  of  Christ;  a 
fine  characteristic  in  one  that  was  so  great. 
He  had  no  rough  thought,  no  rough  feel- 
ing, no  rough  choice.  There  was  nothing 
that  might  be  called  overbearing  about  him: 
his  gentleness  forbade  that.  There  are  men 
who  pride  themselves  in  their  independence. 
They  wish  to  think  for  themselves,  mean  to 
stand  up  for  their  rights,  are  not  afraid  to 
speak  their  mind.  But  such  characters  are 
apt  to  go  a  little  too  far.  Their  towering 
independence  is  a  little  too  sharp  and  defi- 
ant. Gentleness  can  not  grow  under  its 
shadow.  The  most  timid  might  approach 
Christ.  A  child  could  take  him  by  the 
hand.  There  was  nothing  repelling  about 
him.  It  was  the  nature  of  his  soul  to 
draw,  the  nature  of  his  manner  to  draw, 
the  nature  of  his  appearance  to  draw. 

We  must  not  fail  to  notice  also  the  tender- 
ness of  Jesus.  His  tenderness  was  not  a  per- 
fected  sample    of  pity.     It  was  higher   and 


Christ  is  Christianity.  29 

purer  than  any  refined  movement  of  in- 
stinctive feeling.  It  belonged  to  a  region 
of  mind  that  was  most  holy.  It  was  em- 
bosomed in  mercy.  Its  speech  was  hope, 
and  its  benediction  peace.  The  tenderness 
of  Jesus  had  no  frown.  It  was  not  pity 
on  the  lips  while  there  was  a  scowl  on 
the  heart.  But  it  was  a  tenderness  which 
warmed,  softened,  and  saved.  It  is  because 
of  this  winning  characteristic  that  wandering 
men  kneel  down  at  the  cross.  The  little 
child  prays  and  trusts  because  of  this.  The 
despairing  man  by  it  gains  hope,  and  the 
weary  man  by  it  gains  strength.  The  ten- 
derness of  Jesus  is  like  a  gateway  of  love 
that  opens  into  the  kingdom  of  grace;  like 
an  angel  of  love  that  guides  us  through  the 
night  of  time,  leaving  us  not  till  we  have 
reached  the  day  of  God. 

Christ  had  the  great  virtue  of  self-denial. 
In  fact  it  was  not  a  virtue,  not  a  grace — it 
was  rather  his  collective  goodness  taking  the 
form  of  self-sacrifice.  He  had  not  struck  out 
a  course  of  existence  that  was  easy  and  pleas- 
ant. We  can  think  of  a  ship  sailing  along  a 
peaceful  sea  with  a  fair  wind,  of  a  stream 
flowing  onward  through   a  channel  with  no 


30  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

impediment,  of  a  smi  shining  during  a  beauti- 
ful day  with  the  fields  enamelled  with  green 
and  the  sky  with  blue — and  all  such  pictures 
giving  us  the  idea  of  ease.  We  can  even 
think  of  angels  at  their  morning  worship  in 
the  temple  of  heaven,  of  glorified  men  walk- 
ing along  by  the  river  of  God,  of  bright 
celestial  companies  gliding  through  space  to 
distant  worlds — and  all  this,  though  in  the 
strict  line  of  duty,  pleasant  and  easy.  ]^ow, 
it  is  not  in  any  such  way  as  this  that  we  are 
to  view  the  position  of  Christ  upon  earth. 
He  did  not  come  among  us  as  a  traveller, 
intending  to  study  the  manners,  customs, 
and  history  of  a  strange  people;  did  not 
even  come  as  an  ambassador  from  the  court 
of  God,  proposing  terms  of  peace  to  a  rebel- 
lious province  of  his  empire;  but  he  came  as 
a  Sufferer.  If  the  strange  contrast  of  purity 
and  pain  is  not  seen  in  his  life,  nothing  is 
seen. 

Christ  had  not  the  least  ayixiety  with  refer- 
ence to  eternity.  All  men  are  more  or  less 
anxious  touching  the  tremendous  possibilities 
of  the  eternal  state.  Special  efforts  have 
been  made  to  drive  away  fear  as  it  respects 
the  future;  but  the  efforts  are  not  successful. 


Christ  is  Christianity.  31 

So  long  as  man  is  a  sinner  and  God  is  just, 
there  will  be  fear.  It  is  worthy  of  note, 
then,  that  we  find  one  person,  and  but  one, 
who  had  no  anxiety  during  any  moment  of 
life  in  regard  to  the  retributions  of  eternity. 
How  could  he  fear  when  he  had  no  sense  of 
guilt  ?  He  had  not  the  least  feeling  of  un- 
worthiness:  the  very  best  men  have  that 
feeling.  The  past  did  not  cause  him  to 
grieve,  and  the  future  did  not  cause  him 
to  tremble.  Surely  his  character  was  un- 
like that  of  all  other  men. 

Christ  did  not  merely  have  one  leading 
moral  trait,  like  the  chief  minds  of  the  past, 
but  he  had  all  the  moral  traits.  He  was 
not  one-sided.  His  character  does  not  show 
strength  and  weakness,  beauties  and  deform- 
ities. In  the  working  of  his  intellect^  he  is 
never  at  fault.  There  is  no  false  statement, 
no  false  reasoning.  He  does  not  find  it  nec- 
essary to  change  his  opinions  by  reason  of 
new  light.  Although  his  thoughts  are  ex- 
ceedingly comprehensive,  entering  into  a  re- 
gion where  men  have  not  been  accustomed 
to  go,  he  yet  finds  them  all  sure.  Even  up 
to  this  late  day  no  improvement  can  be 
made    upon   his    teaching.     In    the    working 


32  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

of  his  feelings^  there  is  no  wrong  movement. 
The  right  emotion  always  appears  in  the 
right  circumstances.  The  feehngs  are  nei- 
ther too  fast  nor  too  slow.  Their  measure 
and  variety  are  just  as  they  should  be.  In 
the  working  of  Christ's  loill,  there  is  no  hin- 
dering power.  It  always  has  a  ready  and 
fixed  determination  for  righteousness.  The 
entire  will,  and  not  a  part  of  it,  is  set  for 
that  which  is  good.  Thus  we  may  sj)eak 
of  the  whole  mind  of  Jesus  as  true,  pure, 
beautiful.  As  the  various  colors  blend  to- 
gether and  constitute  light,  so  the  various 
virtues  blend  together  and  constitute  love. 
A  difficLilty  which  hinders  us  from  grasp- 
ing the  character  of  Christ  is  the  fiict  that 
the  character  is  finished.  Our  character  is 
unfinished  at  every  point.  There  is  not  a 
single  faculty  that  works  in  a  normal  way; 
not  a  single  grace  that  is  complete  in  itself; 
not  one  good  habit  or  good  tendency  that 
is  just  as  it  should  be,  —  consequently  we 
are  in  no  condition  to  see  Christ  as  he  stands 
before  us  in  his  peerless  perfection.  We  see 
him,  and  yet  we  do  not  see  him.  Only  a 
part  of  his  nature  strikes  us,  because  only  a 
part   of   our   nature   bears   a   feeble   resem- 


Christ  is  Christianity.  33 

blance  to  it.  No  one  but  a  finished  painter 
can  judge  of  a  finished  painting.  Only  he 
who  has  a  genius  for  poetry  can  detect  the 
excellencies  of  a  poem.  If  I  would  know 
goodness  I  must  be  good.  It  takes  Christ 
to  see  Christ.  We  can  judge  of  pious  men 
with  a  fair  degree  of  truthfulness,  because 
these  pious  men  have  but  one  or  two  marked 
traits  of  character.  The  marked  traits  make 
them  stand  out;  while  perfection  being  a  sin- 
gle glory  it  does  not  startle  us  so  much. 
The  love  of  John  and  the  philanthropy  of 
Howard  arrest  our  attention. 

It  must  be  confessed,  however,  that  there 
are  surprises  of  character  about  Christ.  We 
can  not  understand  why  the  eighteen  Chris- 
tian centuries  should  have  fixed  their  gaze 
upon  this  one  person,  if  he  did  not  pos- 
sess features  of  goodness  that  struck  men 
with  surprise.  His  complete  disinterested- 
ness stands  out  like  a  sun,  and  his  death 
is  such  a  marvel  that  it  never  can  be  for- 
gotten. There  were  Alps  of  goodness  about 
him,  rivers  of  purity  beautiful  as  the  Rhine, 
cities  of  righteousness  with  their  palaces  of 
love,  that  are  always  remembered  with  joy. 
In  fact  he  seems  like  a  Holy  Land  with  its 


34  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

mountains  and  sea,  its  plain  of  Esdraelon 
and  Jordan  Yalley,  its  Jerusalem  with  the 
temple  of  God,  its  Bethlehem  where  first 
he  appeared,  and  its  Calvary  where  at  last 
he  went  away. 

Christ  is  the  only  person  upon  earth  with 
whom  I  am  satisfied.  I  think  of  him  with 
the  utmost  pleasure.  I  find  nothing  in  him 
that  jars  upon  my  soul;  nothing  that  clashes 
with  my  sense  of  right.  He  knew  nothing 
of  unrest,  although  he  knew  what  it  was 
to  suffer  pain.  The  pain  to  him  was  for- 
eign; it  came  from  without.  His  state  of 
repose  sprang  from  within;  it  was  the  re- 
sult of  purity.  Upon  whatever  men  I  gaze, 
they  are  evil  and  restless.  I  may  think  of 
the  past,  the  brightest  and  best  ages  of  the 
past,  I  yet  can  find  no  human  being  upon 
whom  I  can  look  with  complete  satisfaction. 
I  look  to  Jesus.  I  can  not  say  he  could 
be  better  at  any  point.  Only  with  him  am 
I  satisfied.  He  seems  like  a  majestic  river 
that  is  winding  its  way  through  time,  hav- 
ing come  from  the  lands  of  eternity.  Yea, 
he  seems  like  a  great  world  of  light, — a 
new  sun  that  has  appeared  in  the  spaces 
of  Grod, — the  centre  of  a  new  system,  nobler 


Christ  is  Christianity.  35 

and  better  than  all  others.  Although  sixty- 
two  generations  of  men  have  passed  away 
since  Christ  appeared,  he  has  never  been 
reproduced;  neither  can  we  imagine  any 
advanced  thought  or  action  in  the  future 
ages  that  will  give  to  us  a  second  Christ. 
He  is  out  of  the  range  of  the  world's  move- 
ment. He  is  not  swept  onward  by  the  winds 
and  waves  that  sweep  us  along.  The  glo- 
ries of  heaven  radiate  around  his  Spirit,  and 
he  tarries  among  us  as  one  whose  home  is 
in  the  bosom  of  God.  With  outstretched 
hands  he  blesses  the  whole  race  of  man, 
and  then  departs.  His  benediction  still  rests 
upon  us,  and  his  image  goes  with  us  in  all 
our  journey  of  toil. 

That  which  arrests  the  attention  of  a 
thoughtful  observer  is  the  singular  fact — 
Christ  always  reached  Ms  ideal.  He  stands 
forth  as  a  new  character  in  human  history. 
Although  in  appearance  he  is  like  us,  in 
reality  he  is  not  of  us.  The  plane  of  his 
life  is  out  of  our  range.  He  passes  by 
among  us  as  one  who  has  come  from  afar; 
as  one  on  his  way  to  the  worlds  of  light 
from  which  he  came.  He  is  the  voice  of 
Goodness;    the    psalm    of   God.     He    is    the 


36  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

Head  of  a  new  race  of  men ;  the  crown 
and  glory  of  the  creation.  Not  a  single 
human  being  has  ever  reached  his  ideal. 
All  have  the  consciousness  of  sin;  all  have 
guilt;  all  have  remorse.  Men  everywhere 
are  dissatisfied.  Whether  the  race  should 
exist  thousands  or  millions  of  years,  it  will 
still  be  true  that  each  member  of  the  race 
will  sink  beneath  his  ideal.  Christ  stands 
alone  during  the  whole  sweep  of  time. 
He  did  not  grow  up  from  sin  to  holiness: 
he  was  pure  from  the  very  beginning  of 
life.  Regrets  and  vain  desires  he  had  not. 
He  shows  no  symptom  of  wounded  pride. 
He  does  not  chafe  in  his  soul.  He  makes 
no  pretence.  He  is  surrounded  with  many 
disadvantages ;  bad  circumstances  seem  to 
blacken  him;  yet  he  manifests  no  uneasi- 
ness of  mind  because  men  will  judge  him 
unfavorably  from  these  unfavorable  circum- 
stances. Shame  because  of  a  bad  environ- 
ment is  not  seen.  'No  hints  are  thrown  out 
as  if  he  would  say,  I  am  sorry  that  you 
find  me  thus.  I  hope  you  will  not  judge 
me  by  these  untoward  appearances.  I  was 
once  in  a  better  state  than  the  one  in 
which   you   now  see   me.     All   such   human 


Christ  is  Christianity.  37 

contrivances  to  court  a  name  are  never 
thought  of.  Jesus  puts  on  no  au^s,  does 
nothmg  for  effect,  is  never  chagrined;  but 
conscious  of  a  pure  spiritual  existence,  he 
lives  and  loves  as  if  he  were  inhabiting  the 
city  of  God,  with  principalities  and  powers 
all  about  him.  That  he  should  thus  be  the 
one  personality  who  has  never  fallen  below 
his  ideal — this  has  a  divine  meaning.  If  he 
is  of  the  race,  why  is  he  not  like  the  race? 
He  is  either  a  sinner,  or  he  is  greater  than 
a  sinless  man. 


CHAPTER   II. 

CHRIST  IS  EITHER  A  DIVINE  SAVIOUR  AND  CHRIS- 
TIANITY IS  TRUE,  OR  HE  IS  A  DARING  IMPOSTOR 
AND  CHRISTIANITY  IS  FALSE. 

nnHE  supernatural  with  Christ  was  natural. 
In  the  course  of  his  journeys  from 
place  to  place  he  meets  the  sick  and  heals 
them.  He  does  this  in  the  most  natural 
way.  Ko  special  effort  seems  to  be  made. 
A  blind  man  asks  that  his  eyes  may  be 
opened:  Christ  opens  them.  A  funeral  pro- 
cession is  passing  by;  he  stops  it;  he  raises 
the  dead.  A  word  is  spoken  very  much  as 
he  would  speak  any  word,  and  the  result 
follows.  At  a  particular  time  thousands  of 
people  follow  him.  Knowing  that  they  are 
both  hungry  and  weary,  he  asks  them  to 
be  seated.  Finding  a  few  loaves  and  fishes, 
he  invokes  the  divine  blessing,  and  then 
distributes  them  to  the  multitude.  Each 
person  eats,  and  each  is  satisfied.  Here 
there  is  no  great  ado.  We  only  notice 
that  the   supernatural  was   quite   natural  to 


Christ's  Divinity.  39 

Christ.  He  is  not  found  at  any  time  un- 
prepared for  this  kind  of  work.  He  is 
never  brought  to  a  stand,  as  if  he  did  not 
know  what  to  do  in  given  circumstances. 
Even  in  regard  to  all  the  variety  of  dis- 
eases that  he  is  asked  to  cure,  he  has  not 
to  examine  each  case  with  critical  skill  that 
he  may  know  how  to  treat  it.  He  simply 
speaks  the  word,  and  the  person  is  healed; 
is  healed  at  once.  Certainly  this  way  of 
acting  has  a  divine  look  to  it.  Christ  does 
not  with  great  shrewdness  arrange  matters 
so  as  to  startle  the  people.  An  impostor 
would  want  to  overwhelm  them  by  what 
seemed  like  a  dash  of  the  supernatural.  If 
forged  miracles  had  been  introduced  into 
the  Christian  records,  they  would  not  have 
been  of  the  kind  we  now  find  there.  The 
miracle  life  of  Christ  is  altogether  too  hid- 
den to  suit  the  taste  of  a  forger. 

If  we  just  note  two  or  three  Roman  Cath- 
olic miracles,  we  shall  see  how  they  differ 
from  those  of  Jesus.  As  St.  Elizabeth,  of 
Hungary,  was  one  time  carrying  bread,  meat, 
and  eggs,  to  the  poor,  she  was  met  by  her 
husband.  He  being  anxious  to  see  what  she 
carried,   drew   open   her   mantle.     When   lo! 


40  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

the  bread,  meat,  and  eggs  were  changed  mto 
red  and  white  roses;  the  most  beautiful  he 
had  ever  seen!  This  astonished  him  greatly, 
as  it  was  not  the  season  of  flowers.  He  took 
one  of  the  roses,  which  he  preserved  all  his 
life.  At  another  time  a  company  of  noble- 
men came  to  visit  Elizabeth.  She  had  no 
robes  with  which  she  could  suitably  appear 
in  their  joresence,  and  there  was  no  time 
to  prepare  new  ones  Praying  to  God  to 
make  her  agreeable  to  her  friends,  she  was 
at  once  introduced  to  them.  When,  to  the 
great  surprise  of  the  duke,  and  the  ad- 
miration of  those  with  him,  ''she  appeared 
clothed  in  magnificent  silken  robes,  and 
covered  with  a  mantle  of  azure  velvet,  em- 
broidered with  pearls  of  great  price !  "  An- 
other story  informs  us  that  Elizabeth  once 
took  care  of  a  leper,  who  was  so  diseased 
that  no  one  would  venture  to  approach  him. 
She  anointed  him  with  balm,  and  laid  him 
in  her  own  bed.  Her  husband  hearing  of 
this  was  irritated.  Entering  the  room  where 
the  leper  was  found,  and  going  up  to  the 
bed,  whom  should  he  see?  N'ot  the  leper 
at  all;  but  Jesus  Christ!^ 

*  De  Montalembert's  "Life  of  St.  Elizabeth,"  pp.  155,  181. 


Christ's  Divinity.  41 

Miracles  like  these  are  seen  to  be  spu- 
rious at  a  glance,  and  are  just  of  that  kind 
that  we  might  expect  from  a  forger.  With 
Jesus,  miracles  never  look  as  if  they  were 
far-fetched.  They  are  not  like  divine  won- 
ders glued  on  to  his  life.  We  simply  behold 
"the  Lord  of  glory"  walking  among  men, 
and  acting  always  like  himself.  His  life  is 
not  according  to  any  human  theory.  He 
outwits  all  human  invention.  If  Jesus  had 
been  dressed  up  to  suit  the  fevered  imagi- 
nation of  ignorant  and  superstitious  followers, 
the  great  facts  of  unity  and  harmony  that 
now  are  seen  in  his  life  would  be  seen  no 
more.  A  startling  miracle  would  be  fas- 
tened on  to  him  here,  and  another  there; 
very  much  as  the  Oriental  female  is  deco- 
rated with  ear-rings  and  nose-jewels, — these 
being  no  part  of  the  living  body.  If  the 
miracles  of  Christ  were  a  kind  of  fancy  wax- 
work stuck  on  to  his  life,  why,  in  that  case 
we  could  remove  them ;  and  his  real  life 
would  be  freer  and  fresher  without  such 
foreign  appendages.  But  let  any  one  go 
through  the  gospels  in  this  way,  and  with 
his  finely  prepared  instruments  separate  the 
miracles  from  the    life    of  om^  Lord, — what 


42  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

follows?  Why,  Christ  is  dead  at  once;  no 
Christ  is  left.  One  might  take  hold  of  Ro- 
man Catholic  saints,  and  strike  off  the  mir- 
acles that  are  attached  to  them,  with  great 
benefit  to  the  persons  concerned;  but  not 
so  with  Jesus.  The  supernatural  with  him 
is  so  natural,  is  so  much  a  part  and  parcel 
of  himself,  that  it  is  absolutely  impossible 
to  remove  it.  We  must  either  take  him 
altogether,  or  reject  him  altogether.  There 
is  no  middle  ground  to  stand  on. 

"A  distinct  individuality,''  says  Isaac 
Taylor,  ' '  presents  itself  in  the  perusal  of 
the  four  gospels:  all  the  world  feels  this,  and 
has  felt  it  in  every  age.  By  the  consent 
of  mankind,  or  the  involuntary  suffrage  of 
Christianized  nations,  ancient  and  modern, 
a  perfect  individual  idea,  combining  the  in- 
tellectual and  moral  qualities  of  one  who  is 
wise  and  good,  and  who  is  possessed  of  su- 
perhuman power  and  authority,  is  embodied 
in  the  four  gospels.  This  harmony,  or,  as 
we  call  it,  beauty  of  character,  in  which 
there  is  no  distortion,  and  with  which  noth- 
ing is  mingled  that  is  incoherent,  is  spread 
over  the  entire  surface  of  the  evangelic  nar- 
ratives, embracing  the  supernatural  incidents 


Christ's  Divinity.  43 

of  the  life  of  Christ,  not  less  than  the  nat- 
ural. In  these  narratives  no  seams,  or  joints, 
can  be  discerned,  shining  where  the  spuri- 
ous portion  has  been  spliced  on  to  the 
genuine."  * 

That  Christ  has  a  divine-human  character 
is  plain  from  the  gospel  history.  To  confine 
his  character  to  his  human  soul,  however 
large  and  pure  that  soul  might  be,  is  not 
possible.  As  a  theanthropic  person,  you 
hear  him  using  such  language  as  this: 
"Where  two  or  three  are  gathered  to- 
gether in  my  name,  there  am  I  in  the 
midst  of  them."  "I  have  power  to  lay 
down  my  life,  and  I  have  power  to  take 
it  again."  "Destroy  this  temple,  and  in 
three  days  I  will  raise  it  up."  "  Before 
Abraham  was,  I  am."  N'o  man  ever  would 
speak  thus.  The  language  implies  divine-hu- 
man character.  The  central  position  which 
Christ  assumes,  compels  us  to  view  him  as 
God-man.  No  one  is  to  approach  the  Fa- 
ther except  through  him ;  and  he  demands 
that  every  one  should  honor  him  even  as 
they  honor  the  Father.  He  says,  "What- 
soever ye  shall   ask  in  my  name,  I  will  do 

*  ''The  Kestoration  of  Belief,"  p.  226. 


44  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

it,"  —  even  to  the  sending  of  the  Eternal 
Spirit  himself.  Thus  the  treasury  of  the 
Godhead  is  open  to  him,  and  he  dispenses 
infinite  favors  according  to  the  sovereignty 
of  his  own  will.  Without  any  limitation 
whatsoever,  he  says  to  all  men:  "Without 
me  ye  can  do  nothing:"  he  proclaims  the 
wondrous  fact  that  he  is  to  raise  the  dead, 
and  judge  the  world.  We  stand  appalled 
before  such  a  Presence.  ''N^ever  man  spake 
like  this  man."  "Truly  this  is  the  Son  of 
God."  "The  bare  fact,"  says  UUman,  "that 
a  Being  actually  appeared  who,  on  the  one 
hand,  assumed  such  a  position  with  respect 
to  God  and  a  higher  world,  and,  on  the 
other  hand,  displayed  such  mental  and  mor- 
al sublimity,  is  inexplicable,  on  moral  or 
psychological  grounds,  unless  this  position 
to  God  and  a  higher  world  be  a  true  and 
genuine  fact."  * 

If  there  be  any  thing  certain  about  the 
Christ  of  history,  it  is  certain  that  he  lived 
a  divine-human  life.  It  does  not  require 
any  critical  skill  to  seize  and  present  the 
divine -human  elements.  They  are  patent 
to  each  mind ;  and  it  is  for  this  very  reason 

*  "The  Sinlessness  of  Jesus,"  p.  199. 


Christ's  Divinity.  45 

that  the  Church,  with  such  marked  unanim- 
ity, receives  Christ  as  God-man.  The  idea 
of  classifying  Christ  among  men,  as  one  of 
their  number,  hving  within  the  strict  range 
of  their  hfe,  or,  at  least,  as  manifesting  their 
highest  form  of  religious  thinking  and  ac- 
tion— the  idea  of  doing  that  is  just  out  of 
the  question;  it  is  a  moral  impossibility.  It 
is  like  a  man  trying  to  go  straight  ahead, 
bound  to  go  straight  ahead,  when  all  at 
once  he  strikes  against  a  great  rock,  and 
is  not  able  to  proceed.  The  divine-human 
features  of  Christ  are  too  many  and  dis- 
tinct, to  think  about  viewing  him  as  mere- 
ly a  very  pious  man,  a  notable  Jew  tha-t 
was  somewhat  ahead  of  his  time.  A  per- 
son who  can  say  of  himself  that  he  is  ' '  the 
Lord  of  the  sabbath,"  "the  Light  of  the 
world,"  the  one  Son  who  knows  the  eternal 
Father,  is  not  in  a  line  with  man  at  all. 
To  be  scanning  the  human  nature  of  Christ, 
enlarging  it  as  much  as  we  can,  refining  it 
as  much  as  we  can,  is  to  work  at  the  wrong 
end.  We  are  not  to  begin  with  Christ  as 
man,  and  then  go  up  to  God;  but  we  are 
to  begin  with  Christ  as  God,  and  then  come 
down  to  man.     The  divine   is   the   first  and 


46  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

chief.     It  was   the    eternal   Logos    that    be- 
came flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us.     The  per 
sonality  is  divine,  and  not  human.     Looking 
at   Christ   in   this  way  all   is   clear.     He    is 
seen  as  he  is. 

We  take  now  another  step  in  our  argu- 
ment: Christ  has  a  redemptive  consciousness, 
and,  by  having  that,  shows  that  he  is  the 
divine-human  Saviour,  This  redemptive  con- 
sciousness found  expression  in  the  words: 
''Thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee";  ''Come  unto 
me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden, 
and  I  will  give  you  rest";  "I  lay  down 
my  life  for  the  sheep."  Or  with  still  great- 
er clearness  in  this  verse :  ' '  He  gave  his 
life  a  ransom  for  many."  The  Greek  word 
translated  ransom  is  lutron;  meaning  a  re- 
demption-price. Christ  gave  his  life  as  the 
redemption-price  for  men.  We  find  that 
captives  and  slaves  were  redeemed  by  the 
payment  of  a  price.  A  slave  also  by  his 
own  labor  might  redeem  himself  The  labor 
in  that  case  was  the  lutron.  As  we  look 
into  the  Septuagint,  we  find  the  same  usage 
in  regard  to  this  Greek  word.  Ex.  xxi.  30, 
reads  thus:  "If  there  be  laid  on  him  a  sum 
of  money,  then  he  shall  give  for  the  ransom 


Christ's  Divinity.  47 

of  his  life  whatsoever  is  laid  upon  him." 
Here  ransom  is  lutra;  the  word  being  in  the 
plural,  and  still  meaning  redemption-price. 
In  Ex.  XXX.  12,  we  have  this  language: 
"When  thou  takest  the  sum  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  after  their  number,  then  shall 
they  give  every  man  a  ransom  for  his  soul 
unto  the  Lord."  The  ransom  again  is  lutra. 
In  Num.  XXXV.  31,  this  command  is  given: 
"Ye  shall  take  no  satisfaction  for  the  life  of 
a  murderer,  which  is  guilty  of  death."  Sat- 
isfaction in  this  place  is  the  same  as  the 
lutra  of  the  Greek. 

These  passages  show  the  meaning  of  the 
word.  The  meaning  was  well  understood. 
As  to  the  apostolic  understanding  of  lutron, 
that  is  quite  definite.  Peter  says:  "Ye  are 
not  redeemed  with  corruptible  things  as  sil- 
ver and  gold,  but  with  the  precious  blood 
of  Christ."  The  redemption-price  of  souls  is 
not  money,  but  blood.  Paul  says:  "Christ 
hath  redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the  law, 
being  made  a  curse  for  us."  And  John 
echoes  the  same  redemptive  thought  in  these 
words:  "Thou  wast  slain,  and  hast  redeemed 
us  to  God  by  thy  blood."  In  two  of  these 
passages  the  word  translated  redeemed  means 


48  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

hought;  a  word  quite  as  expressive  as  the 
strictly  redemptive  one,  and  even  showing 
us  how  it  was  used.  As  presenting  the 
same  idea,  we  have  this  passage:  "Ye 
are  not  your  own ;  for  ye  are  hought  with  a 
price :  therefore  glorify  God  in  your  body 
and  in  your  spirit,  which  are  God's." 

Thus  Christ  is  a  Redeemer.  The  redemp- 
tive theology  of  the  JSTew  Testament  never 
could  have  had  an  existence  save  as  Christ 
revealed  it  himself.  It  is  safe  to  affirm  that 
the  Jewish  mind,  at  the  time  when  Christ 
appeared,  had  no  idea  of  a  redemption  for 
the  race  by  the  blood  of  a  divine  man. 
The  apostles  themselves  were  exceedingly 
slow  in  learning  the  doctrine.  They  only 
saw  it,  in  its  rounded  form,  after  the  death 
of  Jesus,  and  after  he  had  explained  it  to 
them  with  greater  particularity  than  usual. 
In  fact  the  idea  of  an  incarnate  Redeemer, 
as  finding  a  place  in  the  world's  thinking  at 
the  time  it  did,  is  evidence  that  the  idea 
came  from  God ;  for  no  man  untaught  by 
Christ  knew  any  thing  about  it.  There  was 
no  development  at  work  that  could  produce 
the  idea.  It  could  no  more  have  arisen  at 
that  time  than  the  conception  of  the  electric 


Christ's  Divinity.  49 

telegraph.  That  Christ  is  a  divine-human 
person,  and  a  divine-human  Redeemer,  are 
thoughts  whose  very  existence  prove  their 
soundness.  Neither  the  one  nor  the  other 
came  forth  from  the  soul  of  man.  Christ, 
then,  is  a  great  representative  character ; 
the  Mediator  between  God  and  men ;  the 
Saviour  of  sinners.  Even  viewed  as  the 
pre-existent  Logos,  there  was  a  phase  of 
the  redemptive  about  him.  He  had  agreed 
to  come  as  the  Redeemer.  He  saw  what 
he  must  be,  do,  suffer,  and  was  ready  for 
the  great  task.  Then  as  the  angel  of  Je- 
hovah, acting  a  part  during  the  pre-Chris- 
tian centuries,  we  see  intimations  of  re- 
demption coming  forth  from  him.  Chiefly, 
however,  when  he  became  man  was  he  re- 
demptive. His  humanity  was  not  on  the 
same  plane  as  the  Adamic  humanity ;  nor 
even  on  the  same  plane  as  the  ideal  hu- 
manity. He  was  wholly  a  redemptive  char- 
acter ;  standing  alone  amidst  the  generations 
of  time ;  standing  alone  amidst  all  creature- 
ly  existence.  He  is  ''the  Lamb  slain  from 
the  foundation  of  the  world."  The  very 
earth  was  created  and  fitted  up  in  view  of 
redemption.     The  entire  history  of  the  race 


50  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

is  redemptive.  The  God-man  is  the  centre 
of  the  world's  hopes.  Life  has  no  meaning 
without  him.     Christ  is  salvation. 

There  is  a  phase  of  the  redemptive  con- 
sciousness of  Christ  which  must  be  noticed; 
I  refer  to  the  fact  that  the  divine  in  him 
was,  at  times,  held  in  aheyance.  There  is  an 
extreme  view  which  affirms  that  the  divinity 
of  the  Saviour  was  entirely  repressed  dur- 
ing his  stay  upon  earth.  There  is  no  evi- 
dence of  this.  Not  the  least  change  took 
place  in  the  Logos  when  he  assumed  our 
nature;  nor  did  the  least  change  take  place 
afterwards.  That  the  eternal  Son  of  God 
should  have  emptied  himself  of  his  divinity 
when  he  became  a  man,  and  received  it  not 
again  till  this  man  was  glorified,  is  an  idea 
that  can  not  be  reconciled  with  the  immu- 
tability of  the  divine  nature.  "If  the  Lo- 
gos, professedly  in  love,"  remarks  Dorner, 
"has  given  up  his  eternal,  self-conscious 
being,  where  is  his  love  during  that  time  ? 
Love  without  self-consciousness  is  an  impos- 
sibility.''* The  utmost  we  can  say  is,  that 
Christ  limited  himself  in  certain  circum- 
stances, that  he  did  not  exert  his  power  in 

*  "Doct.  of  tlie  Person  of  Clirist,"  vol.  iii.,  p.  253. 


Christ's  Divinity.  51 

certain  circumstances.  All  through  his  life 
we  can  see  that  there  was  that  within  him 
which  was  held  back.  He  seemed  to  be 
under  a  great  redemjptive  law^  and  beyond 
that  law  he  could  not  go.  He  could  have 
unfolded  truth,  which  he  did  not  unfold; 
could  have  wrought  miracles,  which  he  did 
not  work;  could  have  manifested  power  in 
a  vast  variety  of  ways,  which  he  did  not 
manifest.  Christ  in  the  sphere  of  Chris- 
tianity acted  very  much  as  God  has  done 
in  the  sphere  of  creation  and  providence. 
God  has  put  himself  under  a  law  of  re- 
straint. He  has  not  revealed  all  that  he 
could  reveal;  not  done  all  that  he  could  do. 
He  has  acted  in  the  best  way  for  the  whole 
universe  of  mind.  The  same  fact  of  partial 
repression  can  be  seen  in  the  inspired  writ- 
ings. The  Bible  illumines  one  realm  of 
thought  and  being;  but  there  is  another 
realm  which  it  leaves  in  darkness.  Christ, 
then,  acts  in  harmony  with  the  whole  course 
of  the  divine  procedure.  There  is  a  prin- 
ciple of  denial  in  the  movements  of  the  Re- 
deemer; what  may  be  called  the  sacrifice  of 
negation.  If  we  view  Christ  by  himself, 
with    reference    to    himself,     this    character- 


52  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

istic  can  be  seen  quite  distinctly.  He  was 
willing,  for  instance,  to  live  amidst  the  sol- 
itudes of  the  wilderness  for  forty  days;  live 
there  in  a  state  of  hunger;  not  venturing  to 
do  any  thing  to  lessen  the  severity  of  the 
trial.  By  a  miracle  he  might  provide  food 
for  five  thousand  persons,  but  not  by  a 
miracle  could  he  provide  food  for  himself. 
A  principle  of  self-sacrifice  governed  him; 
and  so  the  miracle-life  must  flow  out  for 
the  benefit  of  man,  but  not  for  the  benefit 
of  the  humbled  Redeemer  of  man.  There 
were  times  when  the  soul  of  Jesus  seemed 
to  be  taxed  to  its  utmost  limit;  as  if  re- 
demption demanded  that  the  whole  power 
thereof  should  be  exerted;  as  if  the  divine 
could  only  go  so  far,  and  then  must  stop; 
as  if  a  full  volume d  agony  of  pain  were 
requisite,  in  order  to  pay  the  redemption- 
price  for  souls.  The  intense  mental  suffer- 
ing of  the  Saviour  can  not  be  explained, 
except  upon  the  supposition  that  the  divine 
was  held  in  abeyance  to  a  certain  extent. 
He  even  said  himself  that  God  had  for- 
saken him. 

It   has   been   a    question   whether    Christ, 
just  before  he  expired  on  the  cross,   received 


Christ's  Divinity.  53 

communications  of  divine  light,  enabling  him 
to  die  with  gladness,  and  not  in  the  midst 
of  darkness  and  pain.  As'  a  thought,  it 
would  be  pleasant  to  view  the  Redeemer 
as  passing  away  like  the  sun  surrounded 
with  glory;  leaving  the  earth  with  a  splen- 
dor the  same  as  when  first  he  left  heaven. 
But  however  attractive  such  a  thought  might 
be,  there  is  no  evidence  that  Jesus  was  al- 
lowed to  realize  it  in  the  last  moment  of 
his  life.  Not  till  he  yielded  up  himself  into 
the  hands  of  death,  was  the  ransom-price 
paid.  All  that  was  peculiarly  redemptive 
in  Christ  culminated  on  the  cross.  Not  till 
after  death,  therefore,  was  the  prize  to  reach 
him;  not  till  after  death  was  he  seen  to 
be  the  Conqueror.  The  glorified  Redeemer, 
and  the  abased  Redeemer,  could  not  meet 
together  on  Calvary. 

Is  it  too  much  to  say  now  that  the  redemp- 
tive consciousness  of  Christ  was  conditioned 
by  a  law  of  progress  ?  Of  course  our  stand- 
point here  is  strictly  human.  In  God  there 
is  no  progress.  We  should  be  inclined  to 
think  that  not  until  a  certain  stage  of  men- 
tal development  had  been  reached,  did  the 
idea  of  redemption  dawn  upon  the  soul  of 


54  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

Jesus.  If  the  consciousness  of  the  divine 
was  gradual,  the  consciousness  of  redemp- 
tion was  equally  gradual.  And  as  far  as 
the  true  order  is  concerned,  the  Son  of  man 
must  have  known  that  he  was  divine  before 
he  could  know  that  he  was  the  Redeemer; 
for  there  could  be  no  Redeemer  apart  from 
divinity.  At  first  we  can  see  that  Jesus  was 
innocent;  no  stain  upon  him;  pure  as  a  star. 
Then  habits  of  holiness,  stronger  and  more 
fixed  as  the  time  passed,  were  formed  in 
him.  His  life  also  was  developed  in  the 
midst  of  opposition.  Fierce  winds  struck 
him.  He  moved  with  a  serene  majesty 
through  all  contraries.  Great  strength  and 
tenacity  of  principle  were  worked  out. 
Then  as  his  redemptive  life  was  unusual, 
unusual  obstacles  he  had  to  meet  and  over- 
come. The  Christ  of  Gethsemane  and  the 
cross  was  greater,  humanly  speaking,  than 
the  Christ  that  lay  in  his  mother's  arms,  or 
that  stood  before  the  doctors  in  the  temple. 
He  was  sinless  all  the  way  through;  but  in 
degree,  in  compass  of  life,  he  was  greater 
at  the  end:  he  had  more  being.  At  the  last, 
when  the  whole  ransom-price  of  men  was 
paid   down,    the   height  of  his   development 


Christ's  Divinity.  55 

was  reached.  After  the  earthly  and  re- 
demptive work  was  finished,  we  may  well 
suppose  that  the  human  nature  of  Christ 
was  most  ineffably  interpenetrated  and  sur- 
rounded with  the  divine;  so  that  to  speak 
of  his  development  now  in  the  eternal  and 
heavenly  places  would  betray  a  feeling  of 
irreverence.  When  Christ  passed  out  of 
time,  he  passed  out  of  history.  In  the 
centre  of  the  divine  system  he  will  be 
throned  forever  and  ever;  unfolding  the 
glories  of  the  Godhead  to  adoring  and  wor- 
shipping myriads;  while  he  himself  will  be 
living  in  a  region  of  existence  that  can  not 
be  touched  or  measured  by  the  most  ex- 
alted creature. 

Such  is  the  Christ  of  the  gospels.  There 
is  this  advantage  in  the  view  that  has  been 
taken,  that  every  statement,  relating  to  this 
wondrous  Being  in  the  evangelic  narratives, 
can  here  find  a  place.  Kone  are  thrown 
aside  as  improper;  none  are  weakened  or 
changed.  Any  view  of  Christ  that  can  not 
make  use  of  all  the  facts  of  the  case  is  a 
false  view.  A  one-sided  or  theoretic  Christ 
is  no  Christ  at  all.  It  is  evident  enough 
that  the   Redeemer  is   every  thing  to  men, 


56  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

or  he  is  nothing.  Rehgion  rises  or  falls 
with  him.  The  historical  Christ  admits  of 
no  compromise.  Out  of  him  there  is  no 
salvation.  He  is  the  centre  of  all  Biblical 
teaching.  Make  him  less  than  he  is,  and 
the  Bible  is  gone;  and  Christianity  is  gone 
with  it.  We  are  not  surprised  that  modern 
unbelief  is  concentrating  its  attack  upon  the 
person  of  Christ.  Let  him  stand  forth  in 
all  the  royalty  of  his  Godhead,  and  Chris- 
tianity is  safe:  let  him  be  divested  of  his 
divine  claims,  and  Christianity  is  lost. 

"You  can  never  explain  the  enigma  of 
primitive  Christian  belief,  its  world  conquer- 
ing power,  and  its  world  regenerating  effects, 
nor  the  existence  of  the  Christian  Church 
itself,  if  Christ  was  not,  and  did  not  do, 
what  the  gospels  tell  of  him.  By  trying 
to  explain  primitive  Christian  history  as  a 
chain  of  merely  natural  occurrences,  you 
turn  it  upside  down  and  make  it  an  insolu- 
ble enigma.  By  your  denial  of  the  super- 
human element  in  Christ,  you  are  compelled 
to  seek  the  mainspring  of  so  immense  a 
movement  as  that  of  Christianity  in  persons, 
circumstances,  and  relations,  which  can  not 
bear   the   weight   of  such   a   superstructure  j 


Christ's  Divinity.  57 

and  in  the  end  you  ask  us  to  believe  that 
the  kingdom  of  truth  took  its  origin  from 
misunderstanding,  error,  self-deception,  and 
dishonesty  !  "  * 

It  is  a  noteworthy  fact  that  the  holiest  men 
have  been  found  among  those  who  believed 
that  Christ  is  divine.  Religion  has  sunk  the 
moment  he  was  viewed  as  a  mere  creature. 
With  the  rejection  of  the  divine  in  Christ, 
other  fundamental  facts  have  been  rejected; 
till  finally  the  soul  has  dropped  down  into 
a  species  of  naturalism,  leaving  nothing  but 
veins  of  morality  to  take  the  place  of  the 
religion  of  the  Son  of  God.  Christ  is  like 
the  sun,  like  the  air,  like  the  heart  in  the 
human  body.  Take  him  away,  and  there  is 
nothing  but  darkness  and  death. 

It  is  not  sufficient  to  say  that  Christ  was 
a  sinless  man.  If  he  was  merely  a  man, 
and  yet  spoke  as  God,  then  he  was  a  sin- 
ful man.  His  holiness  never  can  stand 
along  with  words  that  we  should  close  our 
ears  against,  if  any  human  being  were  to 
utter  them.  The  higher  the  holiness  and 
the    higher    the    divine     claims,    the    more 

*  Dr.    Christlieb's    Paper   before    the    Evangelical    AUiance 
of  1873. 


58  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

would  we  be  startled  by  the  two  opposite 
characteristics.  Make  Christ  even  the  no- 
blest creature  in  existence;  still  he  must  be 
humble.  The  very  greatness  of  his  perfec- 
tion would  lead  him  to  be  all  the  more 
careful  how  he  spoke.  The  purest  and 
highest  created  mind  would  not  be  so 
likely  to  assume  divine  attributes,  as  a 
mind  of  lower  grade.  We  are  compelled 
to  say  that  if  Christ  was  sinless,  then  he 
was  supernatural;  but  if  not  supernatural, 
then  he  was  sinful.  It  is  all  in  vain  to 
attempt  to  hold  on  to  the  holy  Jesus,  and 
yet  deny  his  divine  claims  and  redemptive 
work.  He  escapes  from  us,  and  also  the 
whole  system  of  Christianity  vanishes  away, 
the  instant  we  view  him  as  the  mere  sin- 
less man. 

It  is  a  significant  remark  of  Schlegel, 
that  ' '  if  Christ  were  not  more  thmi  a  Socra- 
tes^ then  a  Socrates  he  ivas  notJ^^  Equally 
striking  are  the  words  of  Lessing:  "  If 
Christ  is  not  truly  God,  then  Mohammed- 
anism was  an  undoubted  improvement  on 
the  Christian  religion.  Mahomet,  on  such  a 
supposition,    would    indisputably   have    been 

*  "Phil,  of  Hist,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  43. 


Christ's  Divinity.  59 

a  greater  man  than  Christ,  as  he  would 
have  been  more  veracious,  more  circum- 
spect, and  more  zealous  for  the  honor  of 
God,  since  Christ,  by  his  expressions,  would 
have  given  dangerous  occasion  for  idolatry; 
while,  on  the  other  hand,  not  a  single  ex- 
pression of  the  kind  can  be  laid  to  the 
charge  of  Mahomet.''*  If  Christ  were  sim- 
ply a  man,  having  a  sinless  character,  how 
is  it  possible  for  him  to  use  language  con- 
veying the  idea  that  he  is  God?  He  saw 
that  the  Jews  understood  him  as  claiming 
to  be  God,  and  that  they  condemned  him 
for  that  reason;  he  saw  also  that  Christians 
honored  him  as  divine;  why,  then,  did  he 
not  correct  the  mistake,  if  it  was  a  mis- 
take ? 

If  Christ  is  not  a  theanthropic  person, 
living  a  theanthropic  life,  there  is  some- 
thing fearfully  dark  and  wicked  about  his 
character.  The  sin  of  falsehood  he  must 
have  carried  to  a  complete  perfection.  The 
sin  of  blasphemy  he  must  have  been  guilty 
of  in  a  higher  degree  than  was  ever  pos- 
sible to  any  mortal  man.  His  ambition 
must    have    gone    beyond    all    limits.     The 

*  Quoted  in  Schlegers  "Phil,  of  Hist.,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  43. 


6o  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

evil  he  has  set  in  motion  is  beyond  all 
reckoning.  He  has  corrupted  the  whole 
current  of  human  history.  He  has  deluded 
millions  of  people  for  nineteen  centuries, 
and  made  them  rank  idolaters.  Surely  he 
is  the  great  impostor  of  a  race;  a  man 
so  mighty  in  sin  that  forgiveness  can  not 
reach  him.  He  pretends  to  be  God,  and 
by  the  very  pretence  sinks  down  to  the 
depths  of  Satan.  He  would  be  worshipped, 
while  eternal  dishonor  must  cling  to  his 
name.  He  would  essay  to  work  in  a  su- 
pernatural sphere,  above  and  beyond  the 
natural  laws  of  the  universe,  while  he  him- 
self is  the  most  lawless  of  men.  He  would 
assume  to  stand  between  God  and  the 
guilty,  the  only  Redeemer  of  a  fallen  race, 
yet,  by  the  assumption,  he  commits  a  crime 
for  which  a  Redeemer  can  never  be  found. 
Such  must  be  the  character  of  Jesus,  un- 
less we  view  him  as  a  divine-human  Saviour. 
If  the  necessities  of  the  argument  com- 
pel me  to  affirm  that  Christ  was  the  great 
transgressor,  what  a  mass  of  contradictions 
follow  from  that  as  matter  of  consequence. 
With  one  breath  I  say  that  he  was  the 
mightiest  sinner  of  the  race,  while  with  the 


Christ's  Divinity.  6i 

next  breath  I  say  that  he  was  the  hohest 
man  that  ever  Hved.  The  heart  that  was 
full  of  enmity  communed  with  God !  The 
most  hateful  being  was  loving  and  lovely! 
The  most  proud  was  the  most  humble ! 
He  who  manifested  the  sweetest  submission 
was  full  of  unbelief!  Jesus  died  to  es- 
tablish truth  and  righteousness,  yet  truth 
and  righteousness  he  had  none !  The  most 
depraved  being  founded  the  one  religion  of 
purity!  Such  is  the  logic;  and  there  is  no 
escaping  from  it.  If  it  is  hard  to  be  a 
Christian,  it  is  harder  still  to  be  sceptic. 
The  unbeliever  can  say,  ' '  With  a  great 
price  obtained  I  this  liberty." 

The  only  conclusion  from  the  whole  sub- 
ject is,  that  Christ  is  a  divine-human  Sa- 
viour, and  Christianity  is  true.  No  man, 
unless  he  was  insane,  would  claim  to  be 
God  and  Redeemer:  and  if  he  was  insane, 
he  could  not  have  that  complete  balance  of 
character,  and  look  of  divinity,  that  Christ 
possessed.  There  is  no  other  way,  there- 
fore, but  to  take  him  in  the  plenitude  of 
his  power  and  purity.  Only  as  "  God  man- 
ifest in  the  flesh"  can  he  be  reconciled  with 
himself. 


62  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

Thou  glorious  Saviour!  millions  have  given 
thee  their  heart,  and  made  thee  the  joy  of 
their  soul,  ^one  have  failed  of  thy  strength 
who  trusted  in  thee;  none  have  ever  grieved 
at  the  last  hour  who  made  thee  their  hope. 
Thou  didst  dwell  in  the  bosom  of  Grod  be- 
fore time  was  born.  In  communions  sweet 
thou  didst  spend  the  ceaseless  ages.  ISFo  sol- 
itude marked  thy  being  in  the  timeless  to- 
day of  God.  In  the  midst  of  ineffable  bless- 
edness, such  as  no  creature  can  tell,  thou 
didst  move  through  the  golden  years  of  an 
infinite  life.  Thou  camest  into  this  dark 
world  of  sin.  A  stranger  thou  wast  here. 
Like  a  divine  flower  brought  from  the  lands 
of  eternity  thou  didst  bloom  among  us. 
Thy  beauty  did  smile  upon  passing  men. 
Thy  fragrance  filled  the  air  both  near  and 
far.  But  rude  men  trampled  thee  down. 
They  could  not  bear  thy  loveliness,  for  that 
reminded  them  of  their  sin;  and  the  heav- 
enly perfume  that  exhaled  from  thee  was 
not  to  their  taste.  Yet  the  wicked  could 
not  destroy  thee.  During  a  day  thou  didst 
smile  here,  and  at  evening  time  thou  didst 
bow  thy  head,  didst  lie  in  the  dust;  but  on 
the    coming   morning   thou  wast  in  heaven, 


Christ's  Divinity.  63 

in  the  garden  of  God.  Jesus,  thou  art  the 
Holy  One  that  came  to  us.  Guile  was  not 
found  in  thy  mouth,  neither  was  the  shad- 
ow of  iniquity  known  to  darken  thy  heart. 
Bad  thoughts  disturbed  thee  not.  Thy  emo- 
tions were  like  the  breezes  of  heaven,  as 
the  ripples  on  the  sea  of  the  Lord,  as  wa- 
ters of  peacefulness  flowing  from  their  eter- 
nal fountains.  We  can  not  describe  thee. 
Thou  art  far  above  us.  Thou  art  God,  and 
also  man.  We  bow  in  thy  presence.  We 
take  thee  as  our  Saviour.  Thou  art  our  all. 
Forgive  us  our  sins.  Wash  us  in  thy  blood. 
When  this  frail  life  is  ended,  take  us  to 
thyself.  In  the  kingdom  that  is  eternal  may 
we  praise  thee  with  love. 


CHAPTER   III. 

SUPERNATURAL  BEGINNING  OF  THE  RELIGION  OF 
CHRIST  IN  THE  SOUL, 

'T^HERE  is  a  divine  remedy  for  sin,  and 
that  divine  remedy  works  in  a  specific 
way.  The  mould  of  our  subject  is  found 
in  the  very  structure  of  the  mind.  As  the 
entire  soul  has  been  affected  by  the  fall,  so 
the  entire  soul  must  be  affected  by  the  re- 
demption. The  mind  is  usually  divided  into 
three  faculties:  the  intellect  that  thinks,  the 
heart  that  feels,  and  the  will  that  chooses. 
If  the  divine  change  would  be  complete,  it 
must  be  threefold  in  its  nature:  the  under- 
standing must  be  enlightened,  the  affections 
quickened,  the  will  liberated. 

I.  Divine  Light  for  the  Intellect,  pro- 
ducing A  SOUND  Consciousness. 

The  difficulty  with  the  understanding  of 
fallen  man  is  found  in  the  fact  that  there  is 
no  spiritual  apprehension  to  it.     There  may 


Beginning  of  Religion  in  the  Soul.    65 

be  correct  reasoning  in  many  things,  and  a 
real  discovery  of  truth  in  many  things,  but, 
for  all  this,  there  is  a  sphere  that  is  just 
as  unknown,  as  colors  are  unknown  to  the 
blind.  "The  natural  man  receiveth  not  the 
things  of  the  Spirit  of  God;  for  they  are  fool- 
ishness unto  him:  neither  can  he  know  them, 
because  they  are  spiritually  discerned."  The 
mind  needs  to  have  a  new  cast  and  a  new 
eye. 

1.  The  divine  light  enables  one  to  have  a 
consciousness  of  God.  It  is  not  that  the 
idea  of  God  has  dawned  upon  the  mind, 
but  it  is  that  there  is  a  sense  of  his  exist- 
ence. The  impression  that  is  made  upon 
the  soul  is  not  from  the  force  of  argument: 
it  is  more  solemn,  clear,  and  divine  than 
that.  The  creaturely  spirit  is  in  the  midst 
of  an  atmosphere,  and  there  is  a  realiza- 
tion of  an  Infinite  Presence.  The  divine 
purity  makes  us  to  think  of  our  sin;  yet 
the  divine  love  makes  us  to  look  upward 
with  hope.  Our  vision  becomes  more  clear, 
and  the  range  of  it  more  extended. 

In  the  city  hall  of  Brussels  there  is  a 
very  striking  picture.  On  the  ceiling  of 
one  of  the  rooms,  you  behold  the  figure  of 


66  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

an  angel  blowing  a  trumpet.  You  take 
your  stand  in  front  of  the  angel,  so  as  to 
gain  a  complete  view.  Having  looked  a 
sufficient  length  of  time,  you  move  round 
to  the  side.  You  are  astonished,  however, 
with  the  fact  that  there  is  no  side !  You 
are  still  standing  in  front  of  the  angel,  and 
the  heavenly  eyes  are  fastened  upon  you. 
The  mind  is  struck  with  wonder;  and  the 
confession  is,  that  this  is  a  notable  picture. 
You  now  change  your  position,  going  to 
what  would  seem  to  be  the  back  part  of 
the  angel.  More  astonished  than  before, 
you  find  that  there  is  no  back  part!  The 
eye  is  looking  straight  at  you.  Finally,  you 
take  another  point  of  view.  It  makes  no 
difference.  Go  round  and  round  that  pict- 
ure, and  the  eye  follows  you  at  every  step. 
You  stand  mute  and  awestruck  before  a 
great  presence.  How  much  this  seems  like 
Grod.  The  Infinite  Eye  is  ever  upon  us, 
and  we  are  searched  through  and  through. 

2.  There  is  a  consciousness  of  eternity.  It 
is  not  the  mere  abstract  conception  of  time 
without  end,  but  it  is  the  profound  realiza- 
tion of  the  everlasting  state.  When  once 
the  mind  is  in  the  mood  of  thinking  about 


Beginning  of  Religion  in  the  Soul.    6^ 

eternal  things,  almost  any  thing  will  sug- 
gest them.  The  smoke  that  wanders  away 
into  the  winter's  sky;  the  ceaseless  flow  of 
a  great  river;  a  solitary  ship  beating  across 
the  ocean;  a  man  breathing  his  last  in  the 
midst  of  hushed  stillness, — each  may  awaken 
spiritual  faculties,  and  cause  souls  to  think 
of  that  existence  that  keeps  on  forever.  N'o 
one  is  prepared  to  live  until  the  idea  of  an 
endless  destination  has  possessed  him.  The 
fact  that  men  are  either  lost  or  saved  in 
that  immortal  state,  is  a  fact  of  infinite  sig- 
nificance. To  the  serious  mind  the  very 
wail  of  the  everlasting  night  seems  to  fall 
upon  the  ear,  and  the  music  of  the  celestial 
seems  to  invite  the  spirit  back  to  its  home. 
A  fixed  thought  of  eternal  realities  reduces 
all  things  here,  making  mortal  creatures  to 
appear  like  madmen  as  they  strive  to  hold 
fast  a  shadow. 

3.  There  is  a  consciousness  of  accounta- 
hility.  It  is  always  observable  that  when  a 
person  would  begin  the  religious  life  his 
sense  of  accountability  is  sharpened.  He 
sees  duties  that  he  has  not  seen  before. 
Conscience  thus  takes  the  lead.  There  is 
before    the    soul    a    strictly    neio    life.     The 


68  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

human  spirit  is  musing  in  the  midst  of 
great  moral  solemnities.  To  act  is  a  neces- 
sity. The  only  danger  is  that  a  seemingly 
right  course  will  be  chosen,  instead  of  the 
one  path  of  holiness.  Men  by  nature  are 
Pelagians,  and  they  will  do  the  work  them- 
selves if  they  can.  The  ministry  of  failure, 
however,  will  have  its  effect.  The  law  is 
not  as  easily  satisfied  as  was  supposed.  The 
moral  consciousness  is  made  more  searching 
by  the  fact  of  failure,  and  the  disappointed 
spirit  is  looking  round  for  another  way  of 
life. 

4.  The  consciousness  of  sin  and  guilt  now 
characterizes  the  illumined  soul.  Sin  is  deep- 
er and  darker  than  it  was  wont  to  appear, 
and  the  feeling  of  guilt  proportions  itself  to 
the  new  revelation.  As  to  personal  holiness, 
there  is  none.  The  man  has  reached  the 
hopeful  point  when  he  can  say,  ''I  am  a 
great  sinner !  "  It  is  not  to  be  supposed 
that  the  consciousness,  whatever  its  com- 
pass and  clearness,  takes  in  the  totality  of 
sin  and  guilt.  The  chief  point  is,  that  the 
awakened  spirit  is  in  the  line  of  true  con- 
viction. It  is  not  so  much  the  intensity  of 
conviction,    as    it   is    the    quality    of  it,    that 


Beginning  of  Religion  in  the  Soul.    69 

must  be  looked  at.  There  are  some  souls 
like  ships  that  enter  the  harbor  quite  easily, 
and  others  that  are  swept  in  by  a  tempest. 
One  person  may  have  a  slight  sense  of  sin 
at  the  beginning  of  the  divine  life,  and  a 
pungent  sense  afterwards;  while  another  per- 
son may  have  a  pungent  sense  at  the  begin- 
ning, and  a  slight  sense  afterwards.  The 
important  thing  is  to  realize  that  we  are 
condemned  and  lost. 

5.  A  painful  consciousness  now  arises. 
The  man  has  awakened  out  of  sleep,  and 
beholding  the  evils  that  are  without  and 
within  he  is  troubled.  A  sense  of  misery 
is  reasonable,  because  that  which  produces 
the  misery  is  no  fiction.  A  truthful  view 
has  been  taken  of  great  realities,  and  this 
to  a  guilty  mind  must  be  painful.  Nothing 
is  so  fearful  to  a  sinful  soul  as  the  truth. 
The  pain  is  witness  that  things  are  seen,  in 
a  measure,  as  they  are.  Contentment  in  sin 
is  moral  insanity.  To  be  scorched  by  the 
fires  of  remorse  shows  that  there  is  a  di- 
vine nature  to  the  soul.  We  can  almost 
imagine  that  an  imperial  mind  under  the 
full  blaze  of  Grod's  light  would  prefer  to 
fly  into  the  depths  of  perdition,  rather  than 


70  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

make  the  least  attempt  to  steal  into  heaven. 
Who  can  tell  but  that  lost  spirits  in  hell 
will  hold  themselves  there  by  the  very  al- 
mightiness  of  conscience?  It  is  much  better 
to  pass  through  the  ministry  of  torment  here, 
where  redemption  is  found,  than  hereafter, 
where  the  reign  of  law  and  justice  will  have 
no  end.  "  I  can  approve  of  those  only  who 
seek  in  tears  for  happiness."  However  quiet- 
ly some  souls  may  come  to  Christ,  it  is  a 
question  whether  the  absence  of  the  pain- 
ful emotions  is  any  gain  ultimately.  I  should 
suppose  that  a  human  spirit  would  be  strong- 
er and  greater  forever  for  having  passed 
through  agonies  that  proclaimed  the  magni- 
tude of  its  sin  and  guilt. 

6.  There  is  a  consciousness  of  moral  weak- 
ness. If  the  human  race  were  all  philoso- 
phers, they  would  need  the  salvation  of 
Christ  to  the  same  extent  that  the  most  ig- 
norant men  need  it.  By  no  method  which 
the  soul  can  adopt  is  there  any  success  in  the 
destruction  of  sin.  The  evil  may  be  mod- 
ified, but  not  eradicated;  the  rough  growth 
trimmed,  but  the  root  of  bitterness  never 
plucked  up.  According  to  the  definite  Bible 
expression,  "we  are  without  strength.^''     Most 


Beginning  of  Religion  in  the  Soul.    71 

men  are  even  the  slaves  of  a  particular  sin. 
With  all  their  efforts  they  can  not  conquer 
it.  He  who  is  searched  by  the  light  of  Grod 
feels  that  he  is  utter  weakness.  Despair 
touching  self-restoration  is  the  state  of  his 
mind.  The  soul  longs  for  a  way  of  recov- 
ery. A  redemption  that  will  arrest  sin  and 
introduce  holiness  is  the  redemption  that  is 
needed. 

7.  The  way  to  be  saved  is  now  understood. 
One  will  never  understand  this  way  unless 
he  is  aided  by  the  Spirit.  Theological  train- 
ing, however  valuable  that  may  be,  will 
never  make  all  plain.  We  think  of  Chal- 
mers preaching  for  years  with  no  spiritual 
discernment  touching  the  plan  of  salvation. 
The  distinguished  scholar  and  the  little  child 
seem  to  be  upon  the  same  level  here:  con- 
fusion marks  the  one  about  as  much  as  the 
other.  Indeed,  it  would  not  be  strange  if 
the  child  should  enter  the  kingdom  the  first, 
leaving  the  scholarly  man  still  standing  at 
the  door.  The  very  simplicity  of  the  gos- 
pel method  is  most  puzzling  to  the  fallen 
mind.  The  soul  is  either  looking  over  the 
point,  or  away  from  it;  trying  to  fasten 
upon  something  that  is  foreign  to  the   case 


72  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

in  hand.  When  we  smk  down  to  nothing- 
ness and  see  that  Christ  is  all,  the  way 
spreads  out  before  us  with  marked  distinct- 
ness. A  man  is  never  himself  until  he  finds 
the  Saviour. 

II.  Divine  Life  for  the  Heart,  pro- 
ducing  SOUND   Emotion. 

In  the  Syriac  version  of  the  N'ew  Testa- 
ment we  meet  with  the  word  life,  instead 
of  our  word  salvation.  Hence  certain  pas- 
sages read  in  this  way:  "This  day  has  life 
come  to  this  house."  "The  grace  of  Grod 
that  giveth  /^/e."  "How  shall  we  escape, 
if  we  neglect  so  great  a  life  ? "  Then  in- 
stead of  the  familiar  word  Saviour,  a  new 
rendering  attracts  our  attention:  "We  have 
heard  and  known  that  this  is  Christ  the 
Life-giver y  "This  God  hath  raised  up  to 
be  a  Prince  and  Life-giver y  "  Our  citizen- 
ship is  in  the  heavens,  whence  we  expect 
our  Life-giver,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.''  With 
such  a  turning  in  language,  the  great  fact 
of  life  from  Christ  stands  out  before  us. 
This  new  power  in  the  heart  has  the  fol- 
lowing characteristics. 

1.  There  is  a  holy  tendency.     This  holy  ten- 


Beginning  of  Religion  in  the  Soul.    73 

dency  of  the  good  man  is  constant,  just  as  the 
sinful  tendency  of  the  bad  man  is  constant. 
Let  the  Christian  look  into  his  heart  at  any 
moment,  and  he  will  find  there  a  pure  in- 
clination. The  person  is  changed  at  the  base 
of  his  being.  There  is  in  deed  and  in  truth 
a  "new  possibility"  in  the  soul.  Yea,  more, 
there  is  a  divine  bioplasm  in  the  heart,  and 
that  has  begun  to  form  the  new  man. 

2.  There  is  a  holy  taste.  Delight  is  found 
in  the  spiritualities  of  religion,  which  is  in 
marked  contrast  with  the  former  indifference. 
As  the  artist  has  a  taste  for  art  and  the 
musician  for  music,  so  the  pious  man  has  a 
taste  for  piety.  One  feels  at  home  with  ob- 
jects which  were  once  centres  of  irritation. 
There  is  a  taste  for  certain  leading  truths 
of  the  Christian  system,  which  at  one  time 
were  disliked.  Excellencies  connected  with 
the  Divine  Being  and  Christ  his  Son  are 
now  appreciated.  Spiritual  beauty  capti- 
vates  the    soul. 

3.  There  is  holy  desire  in  the  heart.  De- 
sire is  prolonged  emotion;  yet  the  emotion 
is  intensified  and  enlarged.  To  the  extent 
that  the  soul  desires  to  be  holy,  to  the 
same  extent  it  shrinks  from   sin.     There  is 


74  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

in  this  way  a  double  movement,  and  the 
double  movement  shows  the  amount  of  pure 
power.  To  abhor  sin  in  its  essence,  and  not 
merely  in  its  savage  dress,  is  the  mark  of  a 
regenerate  mind.  The  longing  after  holiness 
])e,r  se  gives  a  new  turn  to  the  conscience. 
The  moral  i\iculty  breathes  a  new  atmos- 
phere, and  is  more  sensitive  and  tender. 
Kant  significantly  remarks,  that  ' '  having  a 
Ia7'ge  conscience  is  the  same  with  having 
noneT  He  who  is  too  great  to  notice  what 
are  deemed  trifling  sins,  is  a  trifling  sinner. 
4.  Divine  life  in  the  heart  takes  the  form 
of  holy  love.  This  feeling  of  love  bears  wit- 
ness to  a  radical  change  in  the  character, 
and  shows  wherein  that  change  consists. 
There  is  supreme  attachment  to  God;  and 
that  supreme  attachment  steadies  the  soul 
and  keeps  it.  The  thought  now  is  to  love 
all  that  is  good,  and  to  hate  all  that  is 
evil.  I  may  be  asked  whether  one  does 
not  begin  the  Christian  life  by  loving  God 
for  his  favo7^s,  rather  than  by  loving  him 
with  good-will  and  complacency?  I  would 
answer.  No.  If  I  am  truly  thankful  to 
God  for  his  fiivors,  that  presupposes  that 
I   have   in   my   soul   disinterested   love ;   for 


Beginning  of  Religion  in  the  Soul.    75 

it  is  that  disinterested  love  that  gives  char- 
acter to  the  thankfuhiess.  Mere  gratitude 
is  too  narrow  to  form  a  basis  for  Christian 
character.  Of  course  it  is  a  fact  that  the 
infinite  gift  of  salvation  appeals  most  pow- 
erfully to  the  love  of  gratitude.  Still  that 
form  of  religion  which  has  been  started  into 
existence  by  a  view  of  the  divine  favors  is 
quite  certain  to  prove  an  absolute  failure. 
Nothing  but  the  love  of  moral  excellence 
will  stand. 

5.  We  can  now  say  that  there  is  a  spon- 
taneity to  all  these  movements  of  the  heart. 
They  do  not  have  to  be  cajoled  and  flat- 
tered before  they  will  show  their  power. 
We  may  come  upon  them  suddenly  and  un- 
expectedly: they  will  still  act  according  to 
the  life  that  is  in  them.  They  are  not  the 
result  of  circumstances,  ceasing  to  be  when 
the  circumstances  are  gone.  In  trying  mo- 
ments when  every  thing  seems  to  be  swept 
away,  they  remain.  If  there  was  no  spon- 
taneity about  the  inner  life,  one  could  have 
no  confidence  in  his  character.  A  religion 
that  has  to  be  bargained  with  and  pressed 
into  duty  against  its  own  inclination  is  not 
religion.     If  at  those  times  when  I   am  left 


76  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

alone,  with  nothing  finite  to  rest  on,  I  can 
yet  move  straight  towards  Christ,  then  I 
need  not  fear. 

What  now  is  the  connection  between  sec- 
ond causes  and  the  efficient  cause  in  the  con- 
version of  a  soul?  There  is  a  very  impor- 
tant connection.  Nothing  is  more  reasonable 
than  to  show  to  a  fallen  man  the  nature 
and  magnitude  of  sin,  the  character  and 
claims  of  God,  the  all -sufficiency  of  the 
Christian  redemption,  and  the  conditions  on 
which  it  may  be  received.  This  method  lays 
a  certain  dignity  on  the  human  faculties ; 
and  almost  forms  a  channel  for  the  new  life 
to  flow  in.  Although  it  be  a  fact  that  God 
is  the  efficient  agent  in  changing  the  charac- 
ter of  the  soul,  we  are  not  to  rest  contented 
with  feeble  effi)rts  on  that  account;  but  we 
are  to  strive  to  so  illumine  the  mind,  soften 
the  heart,  and  sway  the  will,  that  it  will 
seem  as  if  we  ourselves  were  wielding  di- 
vine powers,  and  converting  men.  While 
it  is  true  that  we  can  not  understand  how 
it  is  that  the  Divine  Spirit  arrests  the  march 
of  depravity  in  the  heart,  yet  there  are  ef- 
fects which  announce  his  presence;  and  what- 
ever may  be  the  monitions  of  his  love  which 


Beginning  of  Religion  in  the  Soul,    'jy 

we  recognize,  we  must  heed  them.  The  fact 
that  he  works  in  the  hidden  sohtudes  of  the 
soul  should  impress  us  with  the  profoundest 
awe,  and  should  urge  us  to  the  attainment 
of  ""that  end  which  he  desires  so  much.  The 
air  of  seriousness  that  spreads  over  the  mind, 
the  sadness  which  tells  of  a  nature  that  is 
crushed,  the  conscience  that  is  trembling 
with  fear,  should  suggest  to  us  that  God  is 
at  work,  seeking  to  save.  Silent  and  intent 
we  should  be ;  eager  to  catch  the  first  sound 
of  his  footsteps ;  peering  through  the  mists 
of  the  dawn ;  anxious  for  the  day.  Truth 
sounding  through  the  soul  is  the  voice  of 
God;  it  is  the  pioneer  of  the  Saviour;  it  is 
"the  sword  of  the  Spirit,"  cutting  down 
evil;  it  is  the  condition  by  which  the  Di- 
vine Being  limits  himself. 

A  question  now  meets  us  of  this  charac- 
ter: Is  the  supernatural  life  which  conies  to 
souls,  confined  to  the  people  of  this  earth  ?  It 
is  our  understanding  that  the  entire  king- 
dom of  holy  creatures  is  animated  by  this 
life.  When  the  angels  were  called  into  ex- 
istence they  had  it;  but  those  of  their  num- 
ber that  fell,  lost  it.  When  Adam  was  cre- 
ated, he  was  endowed  with  this  supernatural 


78  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

life ;  but  sinning,  he  lost  it  also.  The  race 
that  have  descended  from  him  are  by  na- 
ture destitute  of  the  life  of  God.  By  the 
redemption  of  Christ,  however,  we  see  it 
working  again.  In  the  act  of  regeneration 
it  appears.  In  progressive  sanctification  it 
shows  its  power.  When  the  soul  is  per- 
fected, that  soul  will  be  on  the  same  plane 
of  existence  with  the  sinless  angel ;  both 
united  to  God  by  the  supernatural  life. 

The  person  who  communicates  this  life  to 
the  fallen  and  the  unfallen  is  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Even  Christ,  though  God-man  and  sinless, 
was  nevertheless  filled  with  the  Spirit  as  to 
his  human  nature.  This  fact  is  striking. 
Why  should  God  give  ' '  the  Spirit  without 
measure "  unto  him  ?  We  are  accustomed 
to  think  that  a  divine  influence  is  only 
given  to  sinners;  and  yet  here  is  a  person 
who  was  holy,  receiving  the  Spirit  with 
great  fulness.  The  man  Christ  Jesus,  I  ap- 
prehend, shows  to  us  that  no  creature  is 
complete  without  the  supernatural  life.  He 
presents  to  the  entire  universe  that  form  of 
existence  that  may  be  called  normal.  The 
sinless  angels,  then,  as  well  as  the  sinless 
Redeemer,  must  be  animated  by  the  Spirit's 


Beginning  of  Religion  in  the  Soul.    79 

power.  Augustine  remarks,  "that  not  only 
of  holy  men,  but  also  of  the  holy  angels,  it 
can  be  said  that  '  the  love  of  God  is  shed 
abroad  in  their  hearts  by  the  Holy  Ghost, 
which  is  given  unto  them.'  "  *  Thus  instead 
of  confining  the  doctrine  of  a  supernatural 
life  to  the  theology  of  redemption,  it  is 
rather  a  feature  of  that  theology  which  is 
universal. 

It  would  seem,  however,  that  the  super- 
natural life  which  comes  to  sinful  men,  must 
be  somewhat  different  from  the  supernatural 
hfe  which  comes  to  sinless  angels.  There  is 
opposition  to  battle  with  among  men,  but 
nothing  of  that  kind  among  angels.  Good 
must  be  planted  in  the  human  heart,  and 
evil  expelled.  We  learn  from  Scripture  that 
the  Spirit  has  to  convince  men,  has  to  strive 
with  them;  and  that  many  a  time  he  is 
grieved  because  of  the  opposition  which  he 
meets.  It  is  evident,  then,  that  the  grace 
w^hich  overcomes  sinful  souls  must  be  ex- 
ceedingly powerful.  It  not  only  destroys 
moral  evil,  but  heals  the  wound  which  that 
evil  has  made.  The  supernatural  hfe,  there- 
fore, must  be  remedial  in  its  nature,  as  well 

*  "City  of  God,"  voL  i.,  p.  493. 


8o  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

as  the  spiritual  element  which  keeps  holi- 
ness in  existence,  and  connects  the  creature 
with  the  Creator. 

III.  Divine  Liberty  for  the  Will,  pro- 
ducing SOUND  Action. 

The  sinful  determination  of  the  will  in- 
cludes within  itself  the  chief  part  of  one's 
character.  The  element  of  wilfulness  is  pe- 
culiarly the  element  of  sin.  There  is  noth- 
ing in  which  we  see  so  much  of  the  will  as 
in  the  choice  of  sin.  Unaided  from  any  quar- 
ter— with  the  total  capacity  of  the  will — ^the 
man  sins.  The  bad  determination  is  abso- 
lutely a  se//*- determination.  In  turning  to 
God  man  is  dependent;  but  in  the  deter- 
mination to  sin  there  is  independence.  We 
thus  see  a  tremendous  personality  at  work 
in  the  matter  of  evil.  Man's  guilt  is  in  pro- 
portion to  his  voluntariness. 

Although  the  soul  is  in  bondage  to  sin, 
yet  the  bondage  is  that  of  choice.  No  one 
but  a  freeman  can  become  a  slave.  The 
monarch  has  locked  himself  in  prison,  has 
thrown  away  the  key,  has  sealed  his  own 
fate  by  deliberate  purpose.  It  is  not  as  if 
the  soul  were  eager  to  escape  from  bondage, 


Beginning  of  Religion  in  the  Soul.    8i 

and  could  not.  The  dark  and  hopeless  feat- 
ure is,  that  the  will  is  in  the  sin.  If  the 
voluntary  faculty  accepted  of  holiness,  the 
fact  would  be  apparent  in  a  race  of  holy 
men;  but  inasmuch  as  all  are  sinners,  it  is 
evident  that  the  will  prefers  the  sin.  A  self- 
enslaved  will  is  thus  not  a  theory,  but  a 
fact. 

Now,  if  a  change  is  to  take  place  in  the 
character  of  man,  that  change  must  be  chief- 
ly in  the  lawless  will.  Unless  its  determi- 
nation to  sin  is  changed  into  a  determination 
to  holiness,  there  is  no  possibility  of  restora- 
tion to  the  image  of  God.  A  slight  reform 
in  a  few  individual  acts  does  not  reach  the 
governing  power.  As  well  attempt  to  change 
the  east  wind  by  commanding  a  hundred 
men  to  walk  against  it.  A  person  who  has 
thoughts  of  a  better  life  will  sometimes  put 
forth  resolutions  in  the  line  of  rectitude; 
thus  trying  to  do  by  a  promise,  what  he 
can  only  do  by  a  determination  of  the  will. 
There  may  be  success  in  the  development 
of  outward  sanctities  and  moralities, — the 
surface  swept  clean, — but  the  soul  is  as 
black  and  bad  as  ever. 

In  the   act  of  liberating  the  captive  will, 


82  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

there  may  be  great  ease  and  peacefulness,  as 
if  the  soul  went  into  hberty  with  a  bound 
of  joy.  There  are  persons,  however,  who 
have  to  struggle  exceedingly  in  order  to  be 
free:  it  is  like  taking  heaven  by  violence;  like 
fighting  for  one's  life.  Augustine  reached  lib- 
erty in  this  way.  He  says:  "Soul-sick  was  I, 
and  tormented,  accusing  myself  much  more 
severely  than  my  wont,  rolling  and  turning 
me  in  my  chain,  till  that  were  wholly  bro- 
ken, whereby  I  now  was  but  just,  but  still 
was,  held.  And  thou,  0  Lord,  didst  press 
upon  me  inwardly  by  a  severe  mercy,  re- 
doubling the  lashes  of  fear  and  shame,  lest 
I  should  again  give  way,  and,  not  burst- 
ing that  slight  remaining  tie,  it  should  re- 
cover strength,  and  bind  me  faster.  For 
I  said  within  myself,  'Be  it  done  now,  be 
it  done  now';  and  as  I  spake,  I  all  but 
performed  it;  I  all  but  did  it;  and  did  it 
not;  yet  sunk  not  back  to  my  former  state, 
but  kept  my  stand  hard  by,  and  took  breath. 
And  I  essayed  again,  and  wanted  somewhat 
less  of  it,  and  somewhat  less,  and  all  but 
touched,  and  laid  hold  of  it;  and  yet  came 
not  to  it,  nor  touched  nor  laid  hold  of  it; 
hesitating  to  die  to  death  and  to  live  to  life; 


Beginning  of  Religion  in  the  Soul.    S$ 

and  the  worse,  whereto  I  was  inured,  pre- 
vailed more  with  me  than  the  better  where- 
to I  was  unused;  and  as  the  moment  ap- 
proached wherein  I  was  to  become  other 
than  I  was,  the  greater  horror  did  it  strike 
into  me;  yet  did  it  not  strike  me  back,  nor 
turned  me  away."  * 

Faith  is  the  one  act  which  proclaims  that 
the  will  has  been  changed.  The  whole  pro- 
cess of  regeneration  culminates  in  this  great 
act  of  the  soul.  Faith  is  not  single,  but 
complex.  It  includes  within  itself  the  chief 
experiences  of  the  soul,  and  makes  use  of 
the  chief  faculties  of  the  soul.  With  my 
intellect  I  see  that  Christ  is  the  divine -human 
Saviour;  with  my  heart  I  am  attached  to  him; 
with  my  will  I  trust  in  him.  Thus  light  in 
the  faculty  of  thought,  life  in  the  faculty  of 
emotion,  liberty  in  the  faculty  of  action,  find 
their  developed  fruit  in  faith.  The  sense 
of  the  divine,  the  relish  for  the  divine, 
choice  of  the  divine,  mingle  together,  and  re- 
solve themselves  into  this  noble  grace.  Per- 
fect faith  brings  back  the  soul  to  its  normal 
state.  The  distinguishing  mark  of  all  holy 
beings  is,  that  they  rest  in  God.     The  char- 

*  "Confessions,'*  book  viii.,  sect.  xi. 


84  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

acteristics  of  unbelief  are  error,  alienation, 
and  obduracy:  the  characteristics  of  faith  are 
truth,  cordiality,  and  willingness.  The  re- 
ception of  Christ  is  always  linked  with  pen- 
itence, while  the  rejection  of  him  is  always 
linked  with  impenitence.  Faith  is  a  contin- 
uous act.  It  does  not  begin  with  one  mo- 
ment, and  end  with  the  next.  The  will  is 
set  for  trusting,  just  as  the  will  is  set  for 
repenting.  He  who  makes  faith  a  mere  vo- 
htion,  and  not  the  steady  movement  of  the 
will,  is  sure  to  have  a  religion  that  will  fall 
to  pieces  when  the  storm  strikes  it.  The 
great  difficulty  with  the  unconverted  man 
is  the  fact  that  the  will  carries  him  along 
continuously  in  unbelief,  impenitence,  and 
disobedience;  while  with  the  converted  man 
the  will  has  a  constant  tendency  towards 
faith,  penitence,  and  obedience.  Religion 
as  it  begins  in  the  soul  has  value  and 
meaning  when  it  is  viewed  in  this  thor- 
ough manner;  but  make  it  simply  a  series 
of  fragmentary  acts,  and  it  is  nothing  but 
a  species  of  formalism. 

Although  we  are  not  in  the  habit  of  think- 
ing of  actions  as  performed  in  the  mind, 
there  is  yet  a  world  of  life  in  this   unseen 


Beginning  of  Religion  in  the  Soul.    85 

realm.  The  good  man  has  his  inward  choices 
of  goodness,  his  mental  deeds  of  power.  The 
soul  speaks  with  itself,  works  with  itself  It 
sounds  the  alarm  in  times  of  danger,  encour- 
ages in  times  of  depression,  arouses  in  times 
of  sluggishness,  and  soothes  in  times  of  trou- 
ble and  grief.  Sometimes  a  mental  dialogue 
takes  place,  as  if  the  soul  were  two  souls; 
each  one  talking  with  the  other,  urging  or 
restraining  the  other.  Take  also  the  deter- 
mination of  the  mind  to  be  watchful;  keep- 
ing a  steady  look  out  for  a  day  lest  some 
great  and  sudden  temptation  should  lead  it 
off  into  ^in.  Continued  watching  is  contin- 
ued action.  The  soul  seems  to  walk  around 
the  soul,  all  eye,  all  ear,  lest  an  enemy  should 
be  found  stealing  in.  The  standing  on  the 
defensive  and  keeping  what  we  have  gained 
are  to  be  viewed  as  religious  acts  of  the  mind. 
Positive  struggles  to  be  holy,  and  determined 
efforts  put  forth  to  overcome  sin,  are  in- 
stances of  moral  action. 

Let  us  suppose  that  a  battle  is  going  for- 
ward on  a  moonlight  evening,  and  that  the 
battle  is  reflected  so  as  to  be  seen  in  the 
clouds.  You  behold  men  on  foot  charging 
against   each  other,   and   men  on  horseback 


86  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

flying  to  and  fro  in  the  air.  The  cannons 
are  seen  and  men  loading  them,  and  the 
banners  of  different  regiments  float  and  wave 
in  the  sky.  Soldiers  are  carrying  off*  the 
wounded  and  the  dead.  Ships  of  war  are 
seen  also,  for  there  is  a  naval  conflict  going 
forward,  and  men  are  rushing  across  the 
deck,  ascending  the  rigging,  and  arranging 
the  sails.  Some  of  the  vessels  are  in  flames, 
and  the  officers  and  marines  are  escaping 
from  them.  In  the  whole  movement,  how- 
ever, of  this  battle  in  the  clouds,  there  is 
silence.  The  shout  of  the  warrior  is  not 
heard,  and  the  sound  of  musket  or  cannon 
falls  not  upon  the  ear.  So  is  it  with  that 
conflict  that  is  going  forward  in  the  soul. 
The  will  is  active;  but  all  is  still:  the  battle 
is  spiritual. 

There  is  a  kind  of  action  in  the  mind 
whose  shadow  is  faintly  seen  on  the  out- 
side. Look  at  the  silence  of  a  saintly  man 
in  certain  circumstances.  The  silence  may 
be  the  result  of  an  act  of  the  will;  it  may 
therefore  speak.  The  very  look  of  the  eye 
may  be  eloquence  itself.  It  may  touch  the 
heart,  may  move  the  will,  may  be  more 
powerful  than  human  speech,    more   power- 


Beginning  of  Religion  in  the  Soul.    8/ 

ful  than  the  grandest  act.  There  may  be  a 
certain  something  about  the  man  which  we 
can  not  describe;  yet  that  certain  something 
may  be  full  of  spirituality — full  of  the  will. 
The  looking  down  or  looking  up,  the  standing 
still  or  walking  a  few  steps,  may  betoken 
action  in  love  of  the  most  intense  kind. 

The  entire  Christian  character,  outward 
and  inward,  may  be  viewed  as  one  act, 
including  within  itself  vast  numbers  of  re- 
sultant acts;  just  as  we  view  the  sea  as  one 
whole,  with  one  great  motion;  yet  having 
waves  all  over  it,  and  these  waves  foaming 
or  breaking  asunder  as  they  incline.  The 
atmosphere  that  surrounds  the  earth  is  also 
a  symbol  of  the  active  goodness  of  men. 
There  is  found  in  connection  with  this  invis- 
ible power  what  may  be  called  a  motion  of 
totality;  yet  along  with  that  there  are  strong 
winds  that  drive  ships,  gentle  breezes  which 
pass  over  the  fields,  and  the  soft  sweet  air 
which  fans  the  infant's  cheek,  and  soothes 
the  fevered  brow  of  the  dying  pilgrim. 
Groodness,  in  whatever  way  we  look  at  it, 
never  sleeps.  It  is  holy  life;  beating  march 
with  the  heavenly  times;  singing  always  the 
divine  psalm  of  love. 


88  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

The  divine  image  that  was  defaced,  is  now 
restored.  The  fire  of  God  that  went  out,  is 
now  rekindled.  The  altar  that  was  lost,  is 
brought  back  to  its  place.  The  offering  is 
upon  it.  The  priestly  soul  is  standing  beside 
it.  The  temple  gates  that  were  shut,  are 
opened.  Over  the  gates  are  written  these 
words — Here  God  Dwells. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

MORALITY  AND  THE  RELIGION  OF  CHRIST  AS  DIS- 
TINGUISHED FROM  EACH  OTHER. 

nPHERE  are  persons  who  try  to  convince 
tliemselves  that  there  is  no  essential 
difference  between  morahty  and  rehgion; 
and  as  the  rehgious  man  will  enter  heaven 
at  last,  they  incline  to  hope  that  they  will 
enter  it  also,  the  life  being  the  same  in 
both  cases.  There  are  others,  however,  who 
believe  that  the  difference  between  moral- 
ity and  religion  is  infinite;  and  yet  they 
can  not  tell  in  every  particular  where  the 
difference  lies.  It  is  necessary,  therefore,  to 
present  a  clear  statement  of  the  two  forms 
of  life. 

First,  what  is  implied  in  morality? 

1.  In  morality  there  is  an  idea  of  a 
moral  law.  This  idea  is  found  in  all  souls. 
We  call  it  intuitive.  It  never  could  be  the 
result  of  education,  observation,  or  reflec- 
tion.    It  is  a  ray  of  the  Eternal  Light.     It 


90  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

is  therefore  left  to  no  man's  choice  whether 
he  shall  have  it  or  not.  Pleased  or  dis- 
pleased it  remains  as  that  divine  thing 
which  can  not  be  destroyed.  No  person 
can  ever  sink  so  low  as  to  escape  from  its 
presence,  and  no  one  can  ever  rise  so  high 
as  to  do  without  its  directing  hand.  This 
idea  stands  side  by  side  with  the  idea  of 
cause  and  number,  of  time  and  space.  It 
differs,  however,  from  these,  in  that  it  re- 
lates to  that  which  is  moral.  There  is  such 
a  thing  as  sin,  and  such  a  thing  as  holi- 
ness; and  these  retain  their  character  for- 
ever and  ever.  It  were  as  easy  to  make 
six  to  be  nine,  as  to  make  evil  to  be  good. 
2.  Another  constituent  of  morality  is  a 
feeling  of  obligation  to  keep  the  law.  Hav- 
ing at  hand  the  idea  of  right,  applying  this 
idea  to  some  specific  duty,  the  soul  says. 
Do  that,  you  ought  to  do  it,  you  sin  if  you 
refuse  to  do  it.  There  is  a  wonderful  maj- 
esty about  this  fact  of  moral  obligation; 
a  wonderful  sacredness  also.  We  seem  to 
stand  in  the  presence  of  God,  and  his  man- 
date sounds  through  the  soul.  No  human 
contrivance  is  the  feeling  of  obligation.  It 
is   the   workmanship    of  the   Deity.     Savage 


Morality  and  Religion.  91 

or  civilized,  believer  or  unbeliever,  each  has 
this  great  feeling.  Even  among  the  idiotic 
and  the  insane  we  catch  the  echoes  of  a 
command.  The  sense  of  obligation  never 
can  be  wholly  destroyed.  The  divine  never 
completely  dies.  It  may  be  weakened  and 
perverted,  but  it  will  speak  through  all  eter- 
nity. It  is  the  design  of  God  that  the  feel- 
ing of  obligation  should  be  supreme.  Make 
it  secondary,  and  man  is  lost.  Whether  it 
is  supreme  or  not,  can  be  seen  in  what 
follows. 

3.  There  is  an  attempt  made  to  heep  the 
moral  law.  Acts  are  performed  that  are 
called  right;  performed  when  hindrances  are 
in  the  way;  performed  when  a  degree  of 
self-denial  is  necessary.  The  question,  how- 
ever, is  in  regard  to  the  intrinsic  nature  of 
the  morality.  Is  it  pure?  Does  it  satisfy 
a  law  which  can  only  be  satisfied  with  holi- 
ness. Every  thing  has  a  nature.  The  par- 
ticular nature  characterizes  the  particular 
thing.  The  diamond,  the  ruby,  the  ame- 
thyst, are  all  different.  Water  and  light, 
air  and  electricity,  are  not  the  same.  Even 
things  that  resemble  each  other  (as  brass 
and  gold)  are  yet  entirely  different.     Is  the 


92  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

common    morality    of  man,    then,    the    true 
article?     Let  us  see. 

A  person  is  known  by  the  leading  drift  of 
his  mind.  Is  righteousness  supreme  ?  No 
natural  man,  who  knows  himself,  will  say 
that  it  is.  Morality  is  really  the  outgrowth 
of  different  kinds  of  feelings.  A  so-called 
moral  act  may  be  performed  under  the 
mere  sense  of  propriety.  There  are  men 
who  have  a  fine  conception  of  order.  They 
want  things  to  be  done  in  harmony  with 
this  conception.  The  claims  of  conscience 
may  not  be  any  more  thought  of  than  the 
claims  of  some  potentate  in  Asia.  Consis- 
tency also  may  incite  one  to  action.  There 
are  persons  who  have  a  certain  moral  stand- 
ing in  society,  and  to  retain  that  standing 
they  must  act  in  a  certain  way.  But  con- 
sistency is  not  conscience,  however  uniform 
the  life  may  be  that  is  wrought  out  under 
its  influence.  A  feeling  of  honor  may  also 
shape  human  action.  Contempt  of  mean- 
ness and  a  love  of  that  which  is  noble  and 
generous  may  lead  to  the  performance  of 
deeds  that  men  call  great.  Honor,  how- 
ever, is  not  holiness.  We  have  known  pro- 
fane   and   drunken   men   who    had   a   touch 


Morality  and  Religion.  93 

of  the  honorable  m  their  composition.  The 
feehng  of  self-respect  and  the  desire  to  have 
a  good  name,  marshal  souls  into  the  moral 
line.  We  have  also  the  morality  of  expe- 
diency, i  This  fills  out  more  of  life  than 
many  are  apt  to  think.  Shrewd  action  is 
very  often  blank  sin.  Then  we  have  natu- 
ral compassion  and  sympathy  as  powers. 
Instinctive  virtue,  however,  is  not  the  vir- 
tue of  a  pure  heart.  If  now  we  take  the 
love  of  the  agreeable — that  shapes  a  multi- 
tude of  actions.  That  the  feeling  of  obli- 
gation is  also  acted  out  in  a  certain  way, 
is  not  denied.  There  are  persons  who  are 
quite  conscientious. 

Secondly,  what  is  now  implied  in  relig- 
ion ? 

1.  There  is  an  idea  of  God.  The  idea  is 
unique,  just  because  the  Being  to  whom  it 
relates  is  unique.  We  think  not  of  him  as 
a  kind  of  Infinite  Man  or  Infinite  Angel.  In 
his  image  we  are  made;  and  yet  there  is 
that  about  him  which  never  can  be  repre- 
sented by  any  thing  that  is  created.  In  a 
most  significant  sense  he  stands  alone.  He 
has  no  development,  no  dependence,  no 
want.     Then  he  must  be  viewed  as  existing 


94  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

of  necessity.  The  whole  universe  may  pass 
away,  and  there  be  no  contradiction;  but 
an  absolute  Being  must  remain.  As  to  the 
divine  personality,  that  is  wrapped  up  in 
the  very  idea  of  God.  He  is  also  appre- 
hended as  Ruler  and  Redeemer.  To  know 
him  is  eternal  life.  To  be  without  God  is 
death, — a  kind  of  perdition. 

2.  There  is  a  feeling  of  union  with  God 
through  Christ.  Sin  is  opposition  to  the 
divine  character  and  claims,  to  the  divine 
law  and  sovereignty;  and  not  till  the  feeling 
of  reconciliation  takes  the  place  of  that  op- 
position, is  there  any  such  thing  as  piety 
We  may  take  the  word  religion  from  religo, 
meaning  to  go  hack  again.  As  we  had  de- 
parted from  God  in  the  spirit  of  rebellion, 
we  now  go  back  to  him  in  the  spirit  of  con- 
trite love.  There  is  therefore  friendship, 
and  a  delight  in  all  that  is  divine.  Unless 
there  is  delight  in  God  and  goodness,  re- 
ligion is  impossible.  "As  the  helianthus  is 
said  to  turn  towards  the  sun,  though  clouds 
may  partially  veil  him,  so  the  sincere  soul 
will  struggle  towards  the  Light."  There  is 
a  spirit  of  true  obedience;  an  obedience  char- 
acterized  by   the   name    godly.     There   is   a 


Morality  and  Religion.  95 

feeling  of  general  good-will;  such  a  feeling 
as  was  manifested  by  Christ  when  he  canie 
to  save  souls. 

3.  There  is  implied  also  in  religion  an  act 
of  comjylete  self-devotement  to  God  through 
Christ.  Religion  is  not  one  of  many  good 
things,  all  as  it  were  upon  a  level.  It  is 
not  to  be  ranked  with  fine  taste,  culture, 
and  philanthropy.  Religion  is  not  a  step 
towards  something  higher,  that  something 
higher  being  the  chief  goodness.  If  it  does 
not  govern  the  soul,  making  servants  of  all 
the  faculties  of  the  soul,  it  is  a  delusion  and 
dream.  Religion  is  pure  life  to  the  spirit 
of  man.  This  life  warms  the  ideas  of  the 
reason,  gives  new  direction  to  the  judgment, 
sends  health  into  the  heart,  force  and  free- 
dom into  the  will.  It  is  a  remark  of  Rothe 
that  "he  only  is  truly  pious  who  is  so,  or 
wishes  to  be  so,  with  his  whole  being;  not 
only  with  all  his  feelings  and  impulses,  but 
with  all  the  faculties  of  the  understanding 
and  powers  of  the  will."  The  well-formed 
soul  is  not  built  up  in  separate  sections,  as 
it  were  by  a  division  of  labor.  There  is 
only  one  workman  as  time  goes  by.  In  fact 
the  Christian  mind  is  not  so  much  a  building 


96  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

as  a  growth.  It  is  like  a  lily  rising  from  its 
germ;  the  one  life  touching  all  parts;  the  one 
life  ending  in  perfection.  Piety  is  stamped 
upon  every  thing  which  the  pious  man  does. 
The  secular  becomes  sacred  by  its  touch, 
and  the  most  common  things  become  un- 
common by  its  power.  If  religion  is  not 
supreme,  sin  is  supreme.  If  Grod  is  not 
made  all,  self  is  made  all. 

Such  is  a  brief  statement  of  what  is  im- 
plied in  morality  and  in  religion.  Each  calls 
into  play  the  intellect,  the  sensibility,  and 
the  will.  There  is  an  idea,  2i  feeling,  and  an 
act,  in  both  kinds  of  life.  Apart,  however, 
from  this  agreement,  there  is  a  marked 
disagreement. 

Morality  has  not  a  single  element  which 
satisfies  a  spiritual  and  perfect  law.  The 
motives  are  not  of  the  right  character;  and 
to  keep  the  law  is  not  made  the  great  end 
of  life.  The  morality  is  exceedingly  formal 
and  outward.  Only  one  side  of  the  soul 
seems  to  be  in  it,  and  that  the  side  which 
can  not  be  called  spiritual.  A  holy  heart 
moving  to  a  holy  life  is  not  seen.  The  ma- 
terial, therefore,  out  of  which  the  morality 
is  made,   is  not  good.     And  not  only  is  it 


Morality  and  Religion.  97 

deficient  in  quality,  but  it  is  limited  in  the 
sphere  of  its  action.  A  very  few  virtues 
will  make  a  man  moral.  Let  there  be  hon- 
esty, a  degree  of  truthfulness,  a  touch  of 
pity  and  benevolence,  and  at  once  the  per- 
son is  deemed  a  model  in  the  earthly  sphere. 
To  be  living  without  God  is  not  thought  to 
be  a  grievous  offence,  although  it  is  the  sin 
of  sins.  The  most  important  duties  that  can 
belong  to  an  immortal  being  are  really  lost 
sight  of,  and  nothing  but  a  narrow  scheme 
of  humanitarianism  charms  and  cheats  the 
soul. 

Religion  has  God  all  through  it.  He  is 
the  beginning,  middle,  and  end.  Thus  the 
soul  takes  its  proper  place  in  the  divine 
system.  There  is  no  resting  in  a  fair  life 
at  the  very  time  the  creaturely  spirit  is  di- 
vorced from  Grod.  Only  when  in  covenant 
with  him  does  it  live.  Religion  will  ter- 
minate in  morality,  but  morality  can  not 
terminate  in  religion.  A  stream  can  not 
rise  higher  than  its  source.  Morality  lacks 
vital  power,  because  the  spiritual  nature  is 
dead ;  it  lacks  authority,  because  the  chief 
end  is  self.  If  I  begin  right,  I  can  not  end 
wrong;  if  I  begin  wrong,  I  can  not  end  right. 


98  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

The  difficulty  with  the  moral  man  is,  that 
the  leading  sinful  state  of  the  soul  has  never 
been  mastered.  Every  thing  receives  a  col- 
oring from  this  sinful  state.  Mere  human 
f  morality  can  exist  without  any  Grod  at  all; 
and  just  in  that  particular  is  its  condemna- 
tion. A  man  may  be  a  pantheist  or  atheist 
and  yet  be  moral,  as  persons  speak  of  mo- 
rality. But  religion  can  never  go  to  any 
such  length  as  that.  Then,  again,  religion 
is  strictly  redemptive.  But  there  is  no  re- 
demption in  morality.  It  is  nothing  but  nat- 
uralism, or  self-development.  Religion,  how- 
ever, can  have  no  existence  apart  from  the 
supernatural.  It  is  evident  also  that  there 
is  no  worship  in  morality.  When  we  look 
at  those  glowing  descriptions  of  heaven  which 
we  find  in  the  book  of  Revelation,  we  notice 
mingled  with  them  ascriptions  of  praise  like 
these:  "They  rest  not  day  and  night,  say- 
ing. Holy,  holy,  holy.  Lord  God  Almighty, 
which  was,  and  is,  and  is  to  come."  Such 
devotion  is  not  possible  with  a  dry  moral 
experience. 

But  to  see  most  truly  the  difference  be- 
tween morality  and  religion,  I  will  bring  for- 
ward a  person  who  acted  out  these  two  forms 


Morality  and  Religion.  99 

of  life.  Take  the  case  of  Dr.  William  Grorden 
of  England.  He  was  a  distinguished  physi- 
cian, and  a  man  of  great  learning. 

Let  us  look  first  at  Dr.  Grorden  the  mor- 
alist. ''In  his  manners,  bearing,  and  lan- 
guage, refinement  and  taste  of  the  highest 
order  were  always  evident.  He  could  not 
do  a  rude,  a  vulgar,  or  an  unlovely  thing. 
Though  he  was  abundant  in  his  acts  of  pri- 
vate benevolence,  yet  he  saw  that  far  more 
good  would  be  done  by  enabling  the  poor 
to  help  themselves,  than  by  any  acts  of  in- 
dividual charity,  and  therefore  he  labored  to 
elevate  their  condition  intellectually  and  mor- 
ally. In  this  important  work  he  spared  no 
pains,  grudged  no  time,  and  shrank  from 
no  sacrifice.  He  was  in  a  word,  '  The 
poor  man's  friend.'  Many  hours  every  day 
were  devoted  to  prescribing  gratuitously  for 
crowds  of  the  indigent  who  frequented  his 
house.  Numerous  were  the  cases  in  which 
he  not  only  gave  medical  advice,  but  re- 
lieved the  wants  of  his  poor  patients.  It 
was  at  home,  however,  and  amongst  his  in- 
timate friends,  that  the  loveliness  of  such  a 
character  could  alone  be  fully  appreciated. 
There   his   equable    temper,  his  kindness  in 


loo  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

little  things,  his  constant  endeavor  to  make 
all  around  him  happy,  endeared  him  to  every 
heart.  His  servants  loved  him  as  a  friend, 
as  well  as  respected  him  as  a  master.  He 
gave  his  orders  rather  as  if  requesting  a 
favor  than  issuing  a  command,  and  never 
suffered  the  least  service  to  be  rendered 
him,  without  a  kind  acknowledgment.  In 
fact,  humanly  speaking,  he  seemed  to  be  a 
model  many 

We  may  glance  now  at  Dr.  Gorden  the 
Christian.  "  Notwithstanding  the  external 
blamelessness  of  his  life,  he  repeatedly  spoke 
of  himself,  with  deep  emotion,  as  '  the  chief 
of  sinners.'  He  said,  'I  am  so  deeply  sen- 
sible of  my  unworthiness  and  wickedness! 
But  then  I  look  to  Christ,  and  he  has  par- 
doned me,  washed  me,  and  clothed  me  in 
his  robe  of  righteousness.  This  is  why  I  am 
now  contented  and  happy,  with  no  dread 
of  death,  because,  though  I  see  my  own 
vileness,  I  see  Christ  as  my  Saviour.  /  am 
a  mass  of  corruption,  hat  I  revel  in  the  atone- 
m^ent.  I  can  not  doubt.  I  have  been  seek- 
ing religion  for  years  by  reason,  but  I  could 
not  get  it,  and  I  have  found  it  by  becoming 
a  little  child.     I    am  a  marvellous  instance 


Morality  and  Religion.  ioi 

of  tlie  gracious  interposition  of  God.  If 
he  sought  me  when  I  did  not  seek  him, 
why  should  I  doubt,  now  I  have  gone  to 
him?  Human  wisdom  is  folly,  folly!  though 
I  once  did  not  think  so.  I  have  felt  my 
degradation  and  my  black  wickedness,  but 
he  has  forgiven  me  and  washed  me.  Had 
I  no  other  evidence  than  my  own  feelings, 
of  the  truth  of  Christianity,  it  would  be  suf- 
ficient. If  all  the  world  were  anti-Christian, 
I  should  be  a  Christian.'''* 

There  is  unquestionably  a  sceptical  element 
in  morality,  although  it  is  not  generally  per- 
ceived. If  the  Christian  religion  has  any 
meaning,  its  central  doctrine  is  the  atone- 
ment of  the  God-man.  Without  this  atone- 
ment, salvation  is  impossible.  Yet  the  moral- 
ist affirms  that  his  own  works  are  sufficient. 
If  works  are  sufficient,  then  the  atonement 
is  denied;  and  that,  in  principle,  is  infidel- 
ity. Again,  the  system  of  Christianity  makes 
known  to  us  the  important  fact  that,  unless 
a  remedial  influence  is  brought  to  bear  upon 
the  soul,  holiness  is  not  possible.  The  mor- 
alist, however,   believes  that  he   has   a  holi- 

*   Newman   HaU,    "Closing  Scenes  of  the  Life  of  William 
Gorden,  M.D.,"  chap.  viii. 


I02  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

ness  of  his  own.  If  this  is  true,  then  a  re- 
medial influence  coming  from  God  is  false. 
Christianity  in  this  way  falls  to  the  ground. 
The  Bible  next,  viewed  as  an  inspired  book, 
gives  way;  for  the  opinion  which  the  moral 
man  holds  in  regard  to  his  goodness,  is  the 
opposite  of  what  is  found  in  Scripture.  Thus 
morality  from  its  nature  is  sceptical.  The 
moralist  should  either  lose  all  confidence  in 
his  own  righteousness,  and  then  accept  of 
Christianity — or  he  should  trust  in  his  own 
righteousness,  and  then  accept  of  infidelity. 
A  consistent  logic  demands  as  much  as  this. 
I  think,  however,  that  there  is  a  class  of 
moral  men  who  are  trying  to  carry  forward 
in  their  minds  a  double  movement, — they 
mean  to  be  as  good  as  they  can,  and  hope 
at  the  same  time  that  God  in  his  infinite 
mercy  will  save  them.  They  are  not  will- 
ing to  affirm  that  their  own  works  will  en- 
title them  to  heaven.  Their  w^orks  are  only 
a  necessary  part,  and  the  divine  mercy  is  the 
other  part,  and  so  with  the  blending  of  the 
two  they  hope  to  be  saved.  The  system  is, 
in  a  sense,  natural  religion.  Some  who  adopt 
it  are  strict  rationalists,  and  others  are  pro- 
fessed  believers   in    Christianity.     Dr.    Noah 


Morality  and  Religion.  103 

Webster  inclined  to  this  scheme  of  hfe  for 
a  time.  ''He  placed  his  chief  reliance  for 
salvation  on  a  faithful  discharge  of  all  the 
relative  duties  of  hfe,  though  not  to  the 
entire  exclusion  of  dependence  on  the  mer- 
its of  the  Redeemer."  *'He  finally,  how- 
ever, changed  his  course,  feeling  that  sal- 
vation must  be  wholly  of  grace P^  The  double 
scheme  is  a  delusion,  and  is  entirely  contrary 
to  the  gospel  system.  It  has  in  it  the  ele- 
ment of  scepticism,  just  as  morality  has  that 
element.  Indeed,  one  is  reminded  by  it  of 
the  deism  of  Lord  Herbert.  He  depended 
on  works  and  on  God  at  the  same  time. 

The  seal  of  Martin  Luther  represented  a 
rose;  in  the  rose  was  a  hearty  and  in  the  heart 
a  cross,  A  beautiful  life  can  only  spring  from 
pure  love,  and  pure  love  can  only  spring  from 
the  redemption  of  Christ.  ' 

*  Memoir  prefixed  to  his  Dictionary,  pp.  21,  22. 


CHAPTER    V. 

THE  ETHICS  OF  CHRIST  AS  THEY  CHARACTERIZE 
HIS  RELIGION. 

TDEFORE    considering    the    main    subject, 
we  may  glance  at  the  ethical  schemes 
of  men.     The  human  systems  can  be  traced 
back  to  the  leading  faculties  of  the  mind. 

1.  That  form  of  ethics  which  makes  en- 
joyment the  chief  good  has  its  home  in  the 
sensibility.  The  earliest  life  of  the  human 
being  is  passed  in  the  midst  of  sensations. 
The  child  coming  forth  into  consciousness  is 
full  of  wants.  The  love  of  pleasure  is  the 
governing  feeling.  There  is  a  tendency  to 
rest  in  means,  as  if  they  were  ends.  This 
kind  of  life  is  often  continued  from  child- 
hood to  manhood.  There  is,  however,  no 
morality  in  it.  If  I  choose  holiness  for  its 
own  sake,  I  find  both  holiness  and  happi- 
ness :  but  if  I  choose  happiness  for  its  own 
sake,  I  neither  find  happiness  nor  holiness. 

2.  Utilitarianism   considered   as   a  philoso- 


Ethics  of  Christ.  105 

phy  is  the  product  of  the  understanding. 
This  system  demands  a  fine  calculation  of 
chances.  A  moral  nature,  however,  does 
not  seem  to  be  required  by  it.  That  one 
class  of  actions  are  eternally  right  in  them- 
selves and  another  class  eternally  wrong,  it 
does  not  recognize.  That  which  is  called 
sin  in  the  ethics  of  utility  can  be  nothing 
more  than  a  mistake ;  and  that  which  is 
called  guilt  can  be  nothing  more  than  a 
feehng  of  uneasiness  which  has  arisen  be- 
cause of  the  mistake.  As  to  punishment 
resulting  from  criminality,  that  can  find  no 
place  in  the  system.  At  the  utmost  there 
can  only  be  suffering;  suffering  in  order  to 
make  the  man  more  cautious  and  careful  in 
the  future.  If  utility  is  goodness,  then  the 
locomotive  is  a  very  holy  machine,  and  a 
man's  watch  a  very  saintly  production. 

3.  To  be  enraptured  with  the  vision  of 
eternal  beauty  is  that  form  of  life  which 
springs  from  the  reason^  and  is  deemed  by 
a  class  of  superior  thinkers  to  be  the  ulti- 
mate life.  Rising  far  above  the  material, 
the  phenomenal,  and  the  seeming,  we  are 
to  enter  the  realm  of  pure  intelligence — • 
face  to  face  with  eternal  ideas  and  the  un- 


io6  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

created  good.  Here  we  find  the  celestial 
ocean  that  has  no  storms ;  the  divine  day 
that  has  no  darkness.  The  mere  activities 
of  men  in  connection  with  business,  fami- 
lies, and  nations,  are  but  dull  movements 
when  compared  with  the  serene  abstraction 
of  a  great  spirit.  There  is  no  question  but 
that  this  is  an  exalted  life.  It  is  not  sur- 
prising that  kingly  minds  have  been  at- 
tracted towards  it.  It  seems  to  ease  the 
wandering  spirit  of  its  grief;  carrying  it 
away  to  a  region  that  has  no  pain.  Strict- 
ly speaking,  however,  it  is  neither  morality 
nor  religion.  It  is  simply  a  transcendental 
form  of  life.  Wisdom  is  made  the  true  vir- 
tue ;  the  abstract  philosopher  the  true  saint. 
4.  We  come  now  to  the  ethics  of  con- 
science. There  is  a  moral  quality  in  actions. 
Duty  is  the  chief  thing.  With  my  intellect 
I  affirm  that  a  statement  is  true  or  false : 
with  my  conscience  I  affirm  that  an  ac- 
tion is  sinful  or  holy.  Is  the  life  of  duty 
the  complete  Hfe  ?  No.  A  man  may  pay 
a  debt  because  it  is  right;  pray  to  God 
because  it  is  right;  and  yet  he  may  not 
want  to  do  the  one  or  the  other.  This 
shows    that    unless    the    feelings    are    holy, 


Ethics  of  Christ.  107 

nothing  is  holy.  A  just  man  may  be  a 
bad  man. 

5.  Another  theory  makes  the  ethical  life 
to  start  from  the  will.  The  will  is  not 
merely  the  sign  of  personality ;  it  is  viewed 
as  personality  itself.  All  goodness,  there- 
fore, must  centre  in  it.  To  be  good  is  to 
have  a  good  will:  to  be  bad  is  to  have  a 
bad  will.  ''There  is  nothing  in  the  world," 
says  Kant,  ' '  which  can  be  termed  absolute- 
ly and  altogether  good,  a  good  will  alone 
excepted."  "A  good  will  is  esteemed  to  be 
so,  not  by  the  effects  which  it  produces,  nor 
by  its  fitness  for  accomplishing  any  given 
end,  but  by  its  mere  good  volition,  that  is, 
it  is  good  in  itself."*  Most  assuredly  this 
is  not  a  selfish  theory.  N'o  man  by  nature, 
however,  has  such  a  good  will ;  and  no  man 
by  nature  can  tell  us  how  to  make  the  will 
good. 

Every  theory  mentioned  fails,  because  man 
himself  is  a  failure.  Sin  as  a  fixed  state  of 
the  soul  is  entirely  forgotten.  The  deaf  are 
simply  trying  to  make  known  to  us  the 
philosophy  of  hearing.  In  the  ethics  of 
Christ  we  see    a   difference.     They  view  us 

*  "Metaphysic  of  Ethics,"  pp.  1,  2. 


io8  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

as  we  are,  and  lead  us  out  to  what  we 
should  be.  Divine  aid  comes  to  the  de- 
spairing soul.  There  must  be  a  power  be- 
yond truth  and  the  highest  ethics,  or  man 
is  doomed  forever.  Christ  puts  especial  em- 
phasis upon  the  hearty  and  especial  emphasis 
upon  the  Spirit  who  changes  it.  It  is  not 
possible  to  live  a  holy  life  without  a  holy 
heart.  The  distinguishing  mark  of  Christian 
ethics  is,  that  they  do  not  simply  tell  us 
that  we  must  have  the  spirit  of  obedience 
in  order  to  please  Grod,  but  they  tell  us 
how  that  spirit  of  obedience  can  be  found. 
We  thus  begin  right,   and  must  end  right. 

Since  Christ  is  a  new  character  in  history, 
sustaining  a  new  relation  to  the  whole  of 
mankind,  it  is  evident  that  a  complete  sys- 
tem of  ethics  must  mention  a  class  of  duties 
which  we  owe  to  such  an  exalted  person.  If 
these  duties  should  appear  singular  and  ex- 
ceptional, to  the  extent  that  no  mere  creat- 
ure can  exact  them  of  us — that  will  only  be 
an  evidence  of  their  soundness,  inasmuch  as 
they  point  to  One  who  has  a  right  to  be 
honored  and  obeyed.  If  a  remarkable  vir- 
tue called  faith  is  made  fundamental  in  the 
ethics    of    Christ,    that    only    proclaims    the 


Ethics  of  Christ.  1C9 

fact  that  there  is  a  Saviour  who  must  be 
trusted  if  we  would  reach  hohness  and  God; 
and  if  this  deepens  the  sinfuhiess  of  man,  it 
only  furnishes  another  argument  for  the  per- 
fection of  the  gospel  morality.  In  every 
scheme  of  human  ethics,  there  is  a  defi- 
ciency at  some  point;  but  in  the  ethics  of 
Jesus  not  the  least  flaw  is  perceptible.  To 
speak  of  the  errors  of  Christ's  teaching,  is 
just  as  fruitless  as  to  speak  of  the  sins  of 
his  life. 

According  to  Christian  ethics  the  central 
power  is  love.  This  shows  that  we  have 
entered  an  entirely  new  realm.  There  is 
energy,  freshness,  warmth.  We  are  to  love 
God  with  all  the  heart,  soul,  mind,  and 
strength.  One  of  the  saddest  signs  of  the 
lapse  of  men  is  the  fact  that  God  is  left  out 
of  their  ethical  schemes.  "Whatever  other 
benevolence  or  generosity  towards  mankind, 
and  other  virtues,  or  moral  qualifications 
which  go  by  that  name,  any  are  possessed 
of,  that  are  not  attended  with  a  love  to  God 
which  is  altogether  above  them,  and  to 
which  they  are  subordinate,  and  on  which 
they  are  dependent,  there  is  nothing  of  the 
nature  of  true  virtue  or  religion  in  them. — 


no  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

And  it  may  be  asserted  in  general  that 
nothing  is  of  the  nature  of  true  virtue  in 
which  God  is  not  the  first  and  last/'  * 

Another  characteristic,  however,  of  Chris- 
tian ethics  is  the  striking  fact  that  we  are 
called  upon  to  love  Christ  supremely.  With 
the  utmost  distinctness  he  says:  *'He  that 
loveth  father  or  mother  more  than  me  is 
not  worthy  of  me."  This  is  certainly  a  new 
kind  of  ethics;  new  in  their  object  and  new 
in  their  nature.  The  fact  that  Christ  is 
God-man  and  Redeemer,  makes  it  perfectly 
safe  to  fix  the  heart  upon  him  with  supreme 
attachment.  All  throughout  the  New  Tes- 
tament, Christian  action  is  made  to  revolve 
around  the  Saviour  of  men.  Are  we  to  for- 
give ?  "God  for  Christ's  sake  hath  forgiven 
us."  Must  we  be  willing  to  suffer?  "Christ 
suffered  for  us,  leaving  us  an  example  that 
we  should  follow  his  steps."  Are  we  ex- 
horted to  walk  in  love  ?  ' '  Christ  also  hath 
loved  us,  and  hath  given  himself  for  us." 
Are  we  to  assist  those  in  want  ?  ' '  The 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  our  sakes  became 
poor."  Must  we  pray?  "If  ye  ask  any 
thing   in   my  name,   I   will   do   it."     Do   we 

*  President  Edward's  "Works,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  271. 


Ethics  of  Christ.  in 

wish  to  catch  hold  of  the  ultimate   motive  ? 
"The  love  of  Christ  constraineth  us." 

Glorious  love !  How  inimitable  is  thy 
beauty!  Thou  standest  alone  among  the 
stars  of  God.  Thy  day  has  no  night;  the 
sky  that  surrounds  thee  no  cloud.  Thou 
art  the  only  true  expression  of  the  Deity. 
What  is  expediency  beside  thee?  What  is 
pleasure?  Yea,  what  is  duty  itself?  Thou 
art  able  to  perform  deeds  and  conquer  hearts 
where  duty  fails.  Right  is  thy  companion, 
and  ever  shall  be;  yet  thou  art  nearer  to 
us  than  right.  Order  and  law  thou  know- 
est.  Thou  seemest  to  be  both  of  these,  and 
better  than  both.  Heaven  is  about  thee. 
Thy  benedictions  fall  upon  our  ear;  sweeter 
to  us  than  the  seraphim's  song.  Thy  pres- 
ence shall  be  to  us  hope;  and  joy  shall  glad- 
den our  path  because  thou  art  near.  Let 
thy  healing  power  fill  every  channel  of  our 
being;  so  that  we  shall  breathe  with  com- 
fort as  the  hours  pass;  crippled  not  again 
by  the  raging  power  of  sin.  May  we  have 
meditations  of  sweetest  life,  such  as  the 
royal  people  have  upon  the  hills  of  God. 
Thou  Messenger  of  goodness,  how  much  w^e 
need  thee!     Many  a  time  we  are  laid  low. 


112  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

With  firm  steps  and  sure  may  we  walk  the 
ways  of  hfe;  thou  going  with  us  till  the  end 
is  reached;  granting  us  courage  when  we  are 
inclined  to  sink,  and  strength  to  bear  up  in 
the  storm.  Leave  us  not  till  every  stain  is 
taken  away  and  every  wound  healed;  love 
enthroned  in  the  heart,  and  the  sabbath  of 
heaven  abiding  with  us  forever. 

Christian  ethics  look  with  special  favor 
upon  the  grace  of  humility.  As  humiliation 
characterizes  the  entire  life  of  Christ,  so  hu- 
mility should  characterize  the  entire  life  of 
the  Christian.  Aristotle  calls  attention  to 
"the  noble-minded '^  and  ''the  little-minded," 
but  it  does  not  appear  that  either  of  these 
characters  possessed  that  virtue  which  we 
call  by  the  name  of  humility.  Indeed,  in 
pagan  ethics,  this  lovely  trait  would  be 
viewed  as  a  blemish,  rather  than  as  a  vir- 
tue. It  is  a  universal  truth,  however,  that 
goodness  is  impossible  unless  it  springs  from 
an  humble  state  of  heart.  The  fact  is  wor- 
thy of  notice  that  poverty  of  spirit  is  the 
first  beatitude  which  Christ  mentions  in  his 
Sermon  on  the  Mount.  He  thus  struck  at 
pride,  and  made  the  sense  of  nothingness 
the   basis   and  beginning  of  a  holy  life.     It 


Ethics  of  Christ.  113 

is  reported  of  St.  Elizabeth  of  Hungary  that, 
on  a  certain  time,  beholding  the  image  of 
the  dying  Saviour,  she  took  off  her  crown. 
Being  blamed  by  her  mother-in-law  for  this 
act,  she  replied:  "Dear  lady,  do  not  blame 
me;  behold  before  my  eyes  the  sweet  and 
merciful  Jesus  crowned  with  thorns,  and  can 
I,  who  am  but  a  vile  creature,  remain  be- 
fore him  wearing  pearls,  gold,  and  jewels  ? 
My  coronet  would  be  a  mocking  to  his 
thorny  wreath.''  *  This  shows  a  fine  spirit. 
"Humility  is  like  the  eye  which  sees  every 
thing  but  itself."  If  love  is  the  fulfilling  of 
the  law,  humility  is  the  fulfilling  of  love. 
Pride  shut  the  gate  of  heaven:  humility  opens 
it.  The  idea  of  merit  which  runs  through 
all  human  systems  of  ethics  and  religion, 
is  not  recognized  in  the  ethics  and  religion 
of  Christ.  The  fact  that  we  are  justified  by 
faith,  and  not  by  works,  compels  us  to  look 
for  merit  in  the  redemptive  righteousness 
of  the  Son  of  God.  The  ethics  of  Jesus 
are  thus  entirely  imique.  They  stand  just 
as  much  alone,  as  he  stands  alone  in  the 
history  of  man. 

Although   we    do    not   have    a   system    of 

*  Montalembert's  "Life  of  St.  Elizabeth,"  p.  124. 
8 


114  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

Christian  ethics,  the  principles  are  of  such 
a  nature  that  they  reach  out  to  whatever 
is  essential.  Dr.  Temple,  however,  informs 
us  that  "it  is  in  the  history  of  Rome,  rather 
than  in  the  Bible,  that  we  find  our  models 
and  precepts  of  political  duty,  and  espe- 
cially the  duty  of  patriotism."  *  The  in- 
ference would  be  from  this  statement,  that 
Christians  are  not  sufficiently  possessed  with 
the  virtue  of  patriotism;  that  the  Bible  being 
deficient  in  this  one  particular,  those  who 
believe  in  it  are  equally  deficient.  Is  it  not 
a  fact,  however,  plainly  seen  in  the  past, 
that  religious  men  are  the  most  faithful  de- 
fenders of  their  country  ?  It  can  not  be  de- 
nied that  the  Roman  patriotism  had  a  large 
infusion  of  vain-glory  mixed  up  with  it;  and 
the  very  people  who  were  deemed  the  great- 
est became  the  lowest:  the  passion  that  was 
in  them  devoured  itself  and  died.  The  Chris- 
tian patriotism  has  a  grounding  of  liberty 
and  justice,  love  and  the  glory  of  Grod.  The 
truth  is,  a  sound  character  is  the  soul  and 
inspiration  of  all  that  is  good.  The  Chris- 
tian is  from  his  nature  a  law  to  himself  in 
whatever    sphere    he    may    be    placed.     He 

*  "Essays  and  Eeviews,"  p.  20.     English  ed. 


Ethics  of  Christ.  115 

does  not  need  to  read  over  the  whole  sys- 
tem of  jurisprudence  in  order  to  be  a  good 
citizen.  He  is  a  good  citizen  because  he  is 
a  good  man.  Let  all  the  statutes  of  the  land 
be  abolished,  and  he  would  still  be  faithful. 
The  character  that  can  not  hold  together  un- 
less it  has  rules  and  specifications  for  every 
thing,  is  a  very  imperfect  character.  True 
enough  the  Bible  does  not  present  us  with 
an  elaborated  system  of  ethics.  It  knew 
better  than  do  that.  It  plants  great  prin- 
ciples in  the  heart, — and  speedily  the  good 
father,  neighbor,  and  citizen  appear  on  the 
stage  of  life.  Whatever  may  be  the  culture 
and  civilization  of  any  period,  the  Christian 
ethics  are  sure  to  match  that  period.  Their 
adaptedness  to  all  circumstances  is  one  mark 
of  their  divinity.  Instead  of  coming  short 
of  the  highest  human  development,  they  will 
always  go  beyond  that  development.  They 
know  nothing  of  any  new  virtue.  Neither 
in  theory  nor  practice  can  such  a  virtue  be 
pointed  out. 

The  gospel  narratives  present  us  with  mor- 
al perfection  in  a  person^  and  not  as  a  mere 
abstract  ideal.  Plato  tried  to  form  the  con- 
ception  of  a  perfect  man,  just  as  he  tried 


ii6  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

to  form  the  conception  of  a  perfect  republic, 
yet  neither  the  man  nor  the  repubhc  has 
ever  been  seen.  There  remains  nothing  but 
the  cold  silent  thought,  looking  upon  us  as 
the  star  looks  upon  us  in  the  darkness. 
N'eander,  speaking  of  the  "Relation  of  the 
G-recian  to  Christian  Ethics,"  says:  ''We  see 
in  the  Stoical  ethics  the  necessity  not  merely 
of  thinking  of  morality  in  an  abstract  gen- 
eral way,  but  of  presenting  a  picture  of 
moral  conduct  stamped  in  clear,  individual 
features.  Such  a  picture  the  idea  of  the 
sage  should  furnish.  The  sage  in  the  em- 
pirical manifestation,  exhibits  himself  as  aim- 
ing, in  his  efforts,  at  the  ideal.  But  he  who 
is  conceived  of  as  endeavoring  to  reach  the 
ideal,  involuntarily  confounds  himself  with 
his  ideal,  and  this  leads  to  the  sage's  self- 
exaltation  to  the  deifying  of  human  nature J^^ 
Thus  there  was  a  failure.  The  very  height 
to  which  the  sage  seemed  to  go  only  intoxi- 
cated him;  and  so  he  fell  in  his  attempts  to 
rise.  Better  for  us  that  we  can  behold  mor- 
al perfection  in  a  person;  moral  perfection 
acted  out  during  a  lifetime ;  acted  out  in 
the   very   same   circumstances   in   which   we 

*  " Bibliotheca  Sacra,"  vol.  x.,  p.  491. 


Ethics  of  Christ.  117 

are  placed.  The  fact  is  patent  to  us ;  we 
are  impressed  by  it;  holier  we  become  on 
account  of  it.  Give  to  us  the  Redeemer, 
and  at  once  we  have  a  perfect  system  of 
morals.  Christian  ethics  are  simply  the  ex- 
pression of  Christ's  life.  We  go  back,  then, 
to  the  fountain-head.  The  Perfect  Exampler 
is  before  us.  A  power  comes  to  us  from 
the  living  Christ,  more  inspiring  than  from 
his  ethical  system,  though  the  one  is  the 
counterpart  of  the  other.  A  law  or  an  ideal 
never  can  lift  us  as  a  person  can. 

There  is  no  telling  to  what  an  extent 
Christ  has  influenced  the  spirits  of  men. 
He  has  touched  all  modern  life.  Even  the 
most  wayward  heart  feels  his  power.  The 
wisdom  of  many  a  sceptic  is  his  light,  and 
the  virtue  of  many  a  moralist  has  come  from 
him.  The  very  strength  by  which  men  de- 
stroy the  temple  of  God  is  not  their  own, 
and  the  weapons  with  which  they  contend 
are  the  spoils  of  Calvary  and  the  cross. 
There  is  a  spiritual  atmosphere  all  around 
us  that  he  has  created,  and  we  breathe  that 
when  we  know  it  not.  None  of  us  are  the 
same  that  we  would  have  been  had  he  not 
appeared.     In  some  way  or  another  he   has 


ii8  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

blessed  us  all.  The  very  child  seems  to  be 
different  because  he  has  lived,  and  the  way 
through  death  is  not  so  dark  because  he  has 
passed  through  it.  Perhaps  the  wicked  are 
more  desperate  because  they  have  grieved  his 
love,  while  the  saintly  are  more  Grodlike  be- 
cause they  have  found  a  home  in  his  heart. 
In  the  ages  of  the  future  he  will  be  more 
powerful  than  in  the  ages  of  the  past.  A 
wider  realm  he  will  fill,  and  a  loftier  race 
he  will  fit  for  heaven.  In  the  slow  march- 
ing years  the  world  shall  at  length  bow  be- 
fore him,  and  the  Man  of  Nazareth  and  the 
Son  of  eternity  shall  be  king  over  them  all. 
Our  sense  of  obligation  is  greatly  deep- 
ened by  the  ethics  of  Christ.  Exceedingly 
important  truth  is  condensed,  and  pressed 
upon  us.  We  seem  to  have  come  into  con- 
tact with  normal  forces.  The  divine  law 
w  Ih  its  compass  of  requirement,  pure  spirit- 
uality, mighty  sanctions,  awes  the  soul,  and 
arouses  it  to  action.  The  simple  fact  that 
we  are  sifted  and  searched,  makes  us  to 
see  how  much  of  evil  clings  to  us.  A 
rounded  thought  of  the  holiness  of  God  star- 
tles us.  A  vision  of  the  purity  of  Christ  ex- 
tends the  area  of  our  obligation.     One  single 


Ethics  of  Christ.  119 

duty,  in  which  are  seemingly  wrapped  up 
all  other  duties,  may  so  bring  us  to  a  stand 
that  the  weight  of  worlds  will  press  upon 
us.  Just  to  the  extent  that  any  mind  feels 
its  accountability,  just  to  that  extent  is  its 
worth  and  greatness  seen.  It  is  not  mere 
knowledge  that  makes  the  man,  but  it  is 
moral  power,  great  moral  action.  Christ 
himself  has  presented  to  us  a  picture  of  ob- 
ligation when  he  had  to  carry  the  burden 
of  a  world's  guilt.  The  spiritual  nature  is 
to  keep  widening  and  deepening  till  the 
whole  weight  of  responsibility  that  comes 
from  a  perfect  law  shall  rest  upon  us,  and 
we  shall  carry  it  with  love. 

As  the  ethics  of  Christ  run  into  the  plan 
of  redemption,  motives  to  faithfulness  are 
multiplied.  We  discover  a  new  way  of 
looking  at  the  universe;  a  way  that  ex- 
presses the  actual  state  of  things.  This 
actual  state  of  things  appeals  to  us  with 
unwonted  power.  Facts  and  laws,  princi- 
ples and  persons,  move  our  soul.  Through- 
out the  New  Testament,  we  meet  with 
such  motives  as  "the  mercies  of  God,'' 
"the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ,"  "the 
love    of    the    Spirit,"    "the    powers    of    the 


I20  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

world  to  come."  Every  fair-minded  per- 
son must  admit  that  the  Christian  Ufe  is  a 
new  form  of  Hfe.  There  are  sceptics  who 
tell  us  that  the  ethics  of  Buddhism  and 
the  ethics  of  Christianity  are  about  equal 
in  value;  and  that  it  makes  no  great  differ- 
ence whether  a  man  is  a  Christian  or  a 
Buddhist.  Kow,  while  some  of  the  princi- 
ples may  appear  to  be  the  same  in  both 
systems,  it  is  evident  that  the  character 
which  is  formed  by  Christianity  differs  in 
hind,  and  not  merely  in  degree,  from  that 
which  is  formed  by  Buddhism.  A  veritable 
Christian  is  altogether  a  new  type  of  man. 
Christian  ethics  are  essentially  the  ideal 
ethics  of  the  universe.  If  we  are  to  love 
Grod  with  all  the  powers  of  the  mind,  and 
our  neighbor  as  ourselves,  that  must  be  the 
rule  for  every  intelligent  being  throughout 
the  system  of  the  Creator.  The  angels  in 
heaven  can  do  nothing  more  than  this: 
Adam  in  Paradise  could  do  nothing  more. 
Even  when  we  reach  out  to  the  Divine  Be- 
ing and  test  his  character,  we  can  find  no 
better  statement  than  the  Bible  one — "God 
is  love.''  The  law  of  love  admits  of  no 
sin;  it  therefore  contains  all  goodness.     Let 


Ethics  of  Christ.  121 

it  be  carried  out,  and  the  whole  world 
would  be  holy  and  happy.  Supposing  that 
the  human  race  had  never  sinned,  no  other 
law  could  have  governed  them  but  the  law 
of  love.  The  ultimate  standard,  therefore, 
is  reached. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

WORSHIP  AS  A  CENTRAL  FEATURE  OF  THE  RELIG- 
ION OF  CHRIST. 

'T^HE  word  "worship"  is  composed  of 
worth  and  ship.  On  the  one  hand, 
God  is  worthy  of  honor  because  he  is  God; 
and  on  the  other  hand,  the  worship  which 
we  render  to  him  must  have  worthiness.  If 
it  has  not  this  quahty  it  is  worthless^  and 
not  worship. 

The  simplicity  of  Christian  worship  arrests 
attention.  A  rehgion  that  is  false,  is  usually 
intricate.  When  Christianity  became  cor- 
rupt, it  became  burdensome  in  its  forms  of 
worship.  The  only  two  rites  which  char- 
acterize the  religion  of  Jesus  are  noted  for 
their  simple  beauty.  By  the  aid  of  water, 
typical  of  purity,  we  are  set  apart  to  the 
service  of  the  triune  God.  By  the  aid  of 
bread  and  wine,  symbolizing  the  death  of 
Christ,  we  are  led  to  think  of  the  incarnate 
Redeemer.  Xo  elaborate  system  meets  us. 
No    gorgeous   ritual    absorbs   the    affections, 


Worship  as  a  Central  Feature.     123 

ana  keeps  the  mind  away  from  God,  We 
behold  no  altar,  no  sacrifice,  no  priest,  no 
temple.  Each  heart  is  an  altar,  each  soul 
a  sacrifice,  each  Christian  a  priest,  each  mind 
a  temple.  The  Christian  worship  comes  out 
of  the  soul,  and  not  out  of  symbols.  There 
is  no  rigid  drill  by  the  aid  of  manifold  ordi- 
nances. '^The  simple  and  unimposing  char- 
acter of  the  Christian  ritual,"  says  Dr.  Caird, 
"is  an  indication  of  spiritual  advancement, 
inasmuch  as  it  arises  from  the  fact,  that 
while  the  rites  of  Judaism  were  mainly  dis- 
ciplinary, those  of  Christianity  are  spontane- 
ous and  expressive.  In  the  old  dispensation, 
ritual  observances  constituted  an  elaborate 
mechanism  for  the  awakening  of  religious 
thought  and  feeling;  in  the  new  economy, 
they  are  the  actual  and  voluntary  manifesta- 
tion of  religious  thought  and  feeling  already 
existing."  "Besides  this,  the  gospel  rites 
are  commemorative,  whilst  those  of  the  for- 
mer dispensation  were  anticipative.  To  de- 
pict the  unknown,  a  much  more  elaborate 
representation  is  needed  than  merely  to  re- 
call the  known.  To  reproduce  in  the  mind 
the  idea  of  a  former  friend,  is  a  simpler 
and  easier  process  than  to  portray  the   as- 


124  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

pect  and  character  of  a  stranger."*  Chris- 
tianity being  the  final  rehgion,  it  is  fixed, 
clear,  and  unmaterial.  The  shadow  is  lost 
in  the  substance. 

As  a  necessary  condition  of  worship,  there 
must  be  a  vivid  conception  of  God.  A  dull 
and  distant  thought  of  Deity  will  not  an- 
swer. The  mind  must  be  aroused  and  vital- 
ized. It  must  be  in  a  frame  in  which  it  can 
think  and  feel  and  act  with  reference  to  God. 
Emotion  must  be  in  the  will  and  intellect, 
as  well  as  in  the  heart.  The  soul  must  be 
possessed  as  it  were  with  God.  Men  are 
possessed  with  thoughts  of  power,  of  ambi- 
tion, of  fame,  of  learning,  of  wealth,  and  of 
pleasure.  Many  are  possessed  with  a  domi- 
neering appetite,  with  passions  that  can  not 
be  conquered,  with  a  heavy  indifference, 
with  a  sharp  opposition  to  the  pure  and 
the  divine.  Some  are  possessed  with  the 
supremacy  of  reason,  as  if  they  were  gods 
— worshipping  themselves.  Others  are  pos- 
sessed with  ideas  of  mystery,  and  with  con- 
tradictions which  they  find  in  the  kingdoms 
of  nature  and  life.  They  adopt  the  religion 
of  despair.     The  Christian  must  be  possessed 

*  "Sermons,"  pp.  340,  344. 


Worship  as  a  Central  Feature.     125 

with  that  which   is    divine.     He   must  have 
the  true  enthusiasm, — being  in  God. 

If  a  man  is  to  think  at  any  time,  he  must 
think  when  he  approaches  God  in  worship. 
Any  thing  hke  haste  or  rashness  is  unsuit- 
able. The  preparation  for  coming  into  the 
divine  presence  is  thought;  careful  and  dis- 
criminating thought.  Our  ideas  touching  the 
Most  High  must  be  lengthened  and  rounded, 
until  he  stands  before  us  as  the  Great  Re- 
ality. To  the  extent  that  it  is  possible,  God 
is  to  impress  us.  There  is  to  be  such  a  con- 
ception of  his  nature,  character,  plans,  and 
works,  that  we  shall  be  filled  and  arrested 
by  the  wonderful  thought.  N'o  doubt  a 
single  phase  of  the  Infinite  Being,  pondered 
carefully,  will  awaken  intense  emotion ;  but 
yet,  for  the  sake  of  health  and  safety  to 
the  soul,  our  views  of  the  Godhead  must 
have  compass.  We  are  sure  to  be  one- 
sided in  our  character,  if  our  views  of  God 
are  one-sided.  Although  we  can  not  grasp 
the  Infinite,  we  must  none  the  less  have  a 
certain  measured  order  when  we  think  about 
the  Infinite.  If  I  am  simply  captivated  with 
his  power,  his  wisdom,  or  his  will,  I  am  sure 
to  be  unhinged  and  unbalanced.    Or  if  I  think 


1^ 


\ 


1^  r  «*»'. 


126  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

of  him  as  the  immutable  God,  the  sovereign 
of  law,  justice,  and  order,  and  go  no  further 
than  these,  I  am  locked  up  as  in  a  prison. 
Or  again,  if  his  love  attracts  me,  and  I  lose 
sight  of  all  else  but  that,  I  am  bewildered 
by  a  divine  brilliancy,  till  finally  I  behold 
nothing  with  distinctness.  There  is  no  other 
way  than  to  take  Grod  as  he  is.  Any  soul 
that  will  do  this,  will  be  enriched.  There 
will  be  a  certain  majesty  and  divinity  about 
the  mind,  just  because  the  divine  thoughts 
are  allowed  to  fashion  it.  When  one  thus 
situated  attempts  to  worship  his  Maker,  we 
can  see  that  there  is  a  finished  intelligence 
at  work.  The  Object  to  be  worshipped  is 
realized.  There  is  no  blind  homage.  All 
is  suitable  in  the  given  circumstances.  The 
soul  is  therefore  blessed,  and  Grod  is  glorified. 
As  a  vivid  conception  of  the  Divine  Being 
is  all-important  in  the  matter  of  worship, 
preaching  comes  in  as  tending  to  produce 
the  state  of  mind  that  is  wanted.  Strictly 
speaking,  preaching  is  not  worship.  It  is 
simply  an  aid  to  worship.  Both  the  preach- 
er's and  hearer's  mind  may  be  brought  into 
a  worshipping  state  by  the  thoughts  of  the 
sermon.     Worship    may   even   be    ascending 


Worship  as  a  Central  Feature.     127 

to  God  at  the  very  time  one  is  listening  to 
the  truth.  Preaching  and  worship  may  thus 
blend  together;  as  if  preaching  at  its  high- 
est altitude  were  a  species  of  worship.  I 
think  it  is  evident  at  any  rate,  that  the  ac- 
tion of  the  mind  upon  the  truth,  or  the 
truth  upon  the  mind,  is  the  proper  ante- 
cedent of  worship.  One  must  either  be  in 
a  meditative  state  by  himself,  or  he  must 
be  in  that  state  while  listening  to  the  utter- 
ances of  the  preacher. 

The  proclamation  of  divine  truth  is  a  most 
reasonable  method  of  impressing  the  mind. 
This  presupposes,  however,  that  the  preach- 
ing has  weight,  A  certain  reverence  must 
be  paid  to  the  higher  faculties  of  the  mind. 
The  soul  is  not  merely  immortal  itself,  but 
it  has  a  great  deal  in  it  that  is  equally  im- 
mortal. Then  it  links  itself  on  to  God,  and 
its  destiny  is  never  to  be  separated  from  him. 
How  fit,  then,  that  it  should  be  treated  in  a 
way  that  harmonizes  with  this  exalted  state. 
If  it  is  the  command  of  Scripture  to  ' '  honor 
all  men,"  most  assuredly  the  soul  should  be 
honored  by  presenting  to  it  great  thoughts. 
These  thoughts  are  to  be  cast  in  the  mould 
of  argument,  inasmuch   as  man  is  a  reason- 


128  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

able  being.  The  mind  will  reason,  whether 
it  be  truly  or  falsely.  There  is  a  logic  which 
all  men  have;  and  sooner  or  later  they  will 
face  the  great  problems  of  life.  A  dis- 
course that  will  command  the  attention  of 
the  soul,  must  have  power  and  system.  It 
must  betoken  labor.  The  life-blood  of  the 
emotions  must  be  in  it.  The  wondrous 
themes  of  Christianity  are  to  be  presented 
in  a  dress  that  is  suitable  to  their  exalted 
character.  Style  and  thought  are  to  go  to- 
gether. The  common-place  is  out  of  place. 
Truths  are  to  come  to  us  in  their  own  ful- 
ness; clear  as  their  own  eternal  light;  vital 
with  that  life  that  appertains  to  Grod.  Their 
strength  will  make  the  soul  to  be  strong,  and 
kingly  with  all  the  majesty  of  truth.  There 
is  to  be  warmth,  but  not  that  of  mere  excite- 
ment. The  heat  is  to  come  from  the  fires  of 
God:  pure,  powerful,  permeating  the  whole 
being,  making  the  soul  to  worship  as  if  in 
the  temple  of  heaven. 

A  thoughtful  reading  of  Scripture  is  also 
a  concomitant  of  worship.  A  sense  of  the 
divine  should  go  with  us  as  we  scan  the 
sacred  pages.  If  the  sermon  should  cause 
us  to  have  a  vivid  conception  of  God,  the 


Worship  as  a  Central  Feature.     129 

Bible  should  heighten  that  conception.  We 
are  now  face  to  face  with  the  Supreme 
Author  himself.  We  are  reading  the  very 
words  of  God.  The  thoughts  of  God  are 
moving  through  our  soul.  Impressions  are 
made  upon  us  which  are  never  made  by 
any  other  means.  We  see  truth  in  a  new 
light,  it  holds  us  by  a  new  authority,  it 
stamps  a  new  image  upon  the  soul.  A  sin- 
gle passage  from  the  Bible  will  sound  the 
depths  of  the  human  spirit,  as  not  even  the 
finest  passage  from  the  writings  of  man  can 
attempt  to  do.  There  is  a  certain  frailty 
about  all  human  thoughts.  They  are  struck 
with  the  disease  that  affects  sinful  souls. 
The  utterances  of  God  are  hfe.  They  carry 
on  their  countenance  the  bloom  of  health. 
They  speak  with  power  to  the  strongest 
men.  There  is  a  certain  massiveness  about 
the  leading  Biblical  statements.  There  is 
nothing  of  the  empty  or  the  forced.  We 
catch  the  idea  of  silent  power  and  divinity. 
The  mind  is  rendered  serious.  It  is  set  in  an 
attitude  for  worship.  Then  there  is  an  un- 
der-current of  pathos  running  through  many 
parts  of  the  divine  writings.  There  is  noth- 
ing worked  up  as  if  it  were  made  to  order. 


130  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

There  is  simply  the  natural  flow  of  pensive 
emotion,  stealing  out  as  it  were  in  secret. 
Its  very  fineness  and  spirituality  cause  it  to 
enter  the  soul  without  a  witnessing  eye. 
One  feels  in  a  certain  mood  without  know- 
ing how  he  came  into  it.  The  soul  is  pre- 
pared for  worship  as  if  angels  had  been  work- 
ing with  it,  or  as  if  seraphs  had  breathed 
upon  the  heart  while  they  passed  by  on  their 
way  to  God.  "  It  may  be  said  of  the  Bible," 
remarks  Henry  Rogers,  "that  it  has  made 
susceptible  of  pathos,  and  brought  within 
the  range  of  human  emotion,  subjects  which 
had  hitherto  dwelt  in  the  region  of  remote 
abstractions,  or,  if  they  ever  came  nearer, 
came  in  forms  which  awakened  only  awe 
or  terror.  To  familiarize,  to  endear,  the 
thought  of  God,  without  degrading  the  con- 
ception; to  bring  him  within  the  sphere  of 
human  affections,  without  impairing  his  maj- 
esty, is  the  triumph  of  the  Bible."  *  The  de- 
votional mind  is  the  result  of  meditation  on 
Scripture  thoughts.  There  are  many  parts 
of  the  Bible  that  seem  almost  themselves  to 
be  worship;  as  if  they  were  clothed  with 
form  and  were  adoring  God;  their  chantings 

*  "Superhuman  Origin  of  the  Bible,"  p.  295. 


Worship  as  a  Central  Feature.     131 

falling  upon  the  ear  like  the  voices  of  pen- 
itent men,  and  their  melody  sweet  as  that 
which  comes  from  the  choirs  of  the  Lord. 
There  are  passages  in  the  gospels  and  the 
epistles,  in  the  book  of  Revelation  and  the 
Psalms,  that  lead  us  at  once  into  the  great 
temple  of  the  Almighty;  as  if  we  were  stand- 
ing among  the  companies  of  the  celestial  dur- 
ing the  morning  worship  of  heaven;  praising 
the  Highest  One  in  the  midst  of  peace,  and 
gladness  that  has  no  pain. 

It  is  the  peculiarity  of  worship  upon  earth 
that  it  is  redeinjytive.  The  worship  of  un- 
fallen  beings  has  no  redemptive  features. 
It  is  worship  in  all  its  sanctity  and  single- 
ness; centering  not  in  a  person  called  the 
Redeemer.  The  worship  of  man  is  entirely 
different  from  this.  It  can  not  begin  or  con- 
tinue except  through  the  power  of  Christ; 
can  not  reach  God  except  through  the  divine- 
human  Saviour.  The  Redeemer  is  every 
thing.  The  worship,  however,  is  not  merely 
inspired  by  Christ;  does  not  merely  pass 
tlirough  him  to  God:  Christ  himself  is  wor- 
shipped. He  being  the  Eternal  "Word  who 
was  with  God,  and  who  is  God,"  we  adore 
him.     Not  to  do  this  would  be  to  set  aside 


132  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

the  plan  of  redemption,  would  be  to  reject 
the  Divine  Being  himself.  ''Whosoever  de- 
nieth  the  Son,  the  same  hath  not  the  Father." 
The  worship  that  finds  its  heart  and  home 
in  the  suffering  Saviour,  has  elements  and 
thoughts  which  give  it  a  superior  value.  The 
Christian  has  new  experiences  of  God's  love 
and  mercy,  which  the  sinless  angels  have  not; 
and  so  his  worship  has  a  uniqueness  on  that 
account.  When  the  worship  of  saintly  men 
is  absolutely  pure,  as  it  will  be  in  heaven, 
it  will  have  a  richness  and  sublimity  which 
never  can  be  equalled  by  the  worship  of 
unfallen  spirits.  As  the  incarnation  and  re- 
demption of  the  eternal  Son  of  God  are  the 
most  notable  wonders  that  are  to  be  found 
in  the  universe,  so  the  life  and  worship  that 
spring  from  them  must  be  superlative  in  their 
nature. 

When  I  analyze  the  Christian  emotions,  I 
see  at  once  that  they  find  their  proper  out- 
let in  worship.  As  Yinet  truly  remarks, 
' '  Worship  is  the  purely  religious  form  of 
religion.  It  is  adoration  in  act."  "A  rite 
is  a  metaphor  in  action,  while  worship  is 
action  itself."  *     I  no  sooner  think  of  God, 

♦  "Pastoral  Theology,"  pp.  178,  179. 


Worship  as  a  Central  Feature.     133 

and  of  man,  and  of  the  Mediator  between  God 
and  man,  than  I  think  of  worship.  I  am 
solemnized  by  a  sense  of  the  divine  presence. 
I  reverence  the  Divine  Being.  I  worship 
him.  As  I  look  at  the  leading  emotions  of 
my  heart,  I  find  them  all  to  be  prayers. 
When  I  sigh  as  I  think  of  life  and  of  death, 
of  worlds  unknown  and  infinite  time,  that 
sigh  is  a  prayer.  The  penitence  which  I  ex- 
ercise is  not  the  penitence  of  a  moment  or 
an  hour;  it  is  in  fact  the  ceaseless  cry  for 
pardon.  Am  I  thankful  that  Mercy  has 
smiled  upon  me  ?  The  thankfulness  is  of 
the  very  essence  of  worship.  Do  I  desire 
to  reach  moral  perfection?  That  desire  is 
a  prayer.  Do  I  love  the  Absolute  Loveli- 
ness? That  seems  like  silent  worship.  Am 
I  hoping  to  reach  heaven  through  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb  ?  That  is  a  kind  of  half-formed 
supplication.  Does  a  feeling  of  admiration 
arise  in  my  soul  as  I  think  upon  the  works, 
providence,  and  perfections  of  God?  The 
admiration  is  one  of  the  leading  phases  of 
worship.  Thus  the  governing  emotions  of 
the  Christian  mind,  present  us  with  the  rudi- 
ments of  worship.  These  emotions  are  the 
pulsations    of  the    inner   life,   the   breathings 


134  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

after  God,  the  perpetual  incense  that  ascends 
on  high,  the  sacrifice  that  finds  acceptance 
with  the  Holy  One.  Without  these  hallowed 
movements  of  the  regenerate  heart,  worship 
would  be  impossible. 

Real  prayer,  however,  is  not  mere  feel- 
ing; it  is  the  expression  of  feeling.  The  de- 
sires of  the  soul  are  incarnated  in  lan- 
guage, and  with  the  language  I  address 
God.  Thus  the  subjective  and  the  objec- 
tive join  themselves  together.  I  feel  my 
sin,  and  ask  for  pardon.  I  feel  my  weak- 
ness, and  ask  for  strength.  All  prayer  is 
distinct.  There  is  always  an  object  in  view. 
The  cloudy  or  the  indefinite  finds  no  place 
in  supplication.  Prayer  is  no  reverie,  no 
mystic  speech,  no  pious  meditation,  no  des- 
canting on  the  works  and  ways  of  God. 
Prayer  should  have  point.  It  should  go 
direct  to  heaven,  telling  what  it  wants.  I 
make  no  speech,  address  no  man  when  I 
pray.  The  attempt  to  be  eloquent,  the 
attempt  to  make  a  great  pra3^er,  is  not 
prayer.  The  Divine  Being  only  is  before 
me.  I  think  of  him.  I  pray  to  him  as 
my  heart  leads.  If  I  want  truth  to  pre- 
vail,   evils    to    cease,    souls   to   be   saved,    I 


Worship  as  a  Central  Feature.     135 

pray  for  these  things.  If  my  faith  is  weak, 
my  hope  dim,  my  love  cold,  I  pray  that  the 
faith  may  be  stronger,  the  hope  brighter, 
and  the  love  warmer.  If  I  feel  grateful  to 
God,  I  express  my  gratitude.  If  his  great- 
ness and  glory  thrill  my  soul,  I  adore  him. 
If  creaturely  objects  captivate  me,  I  pray 
that  my  heart  may  be  set  on  God.  If  I 
can  not  see  my  way,  I  pray  for  hght. 
Thus  all  is  definite.  I  do  not  wander  from 
object  to  object,  not  knowing  very  well 
what  I  am  doing;  trying  it  may  be  to 
make  a  prayer,  but  not  praying. 

Sometimes  the  soul  labors  in  its  emotion. 
There  is  mental  pain.  The  desire  is  heavy. 
It  is  oppressive.  There  is  a  kind  of  agony. 
One  feeling  swallows  up  all  the  other  feel- 
ings. It  is  difiicult  to  find  language  by 
which  to  express  the  burdensome  emotion. 
There  is  a  tendency,  therefore,  to  hold  on 
to  a  sentence,  and  to  repeat  it,  when  it 
seems  to  echo  forth  the  great  feeling  of  the 
soul.  When  Christ  was  in  an  agony,  there 
was  a  divine  condensation  about  his  words; 
and  his  prayer  was  repeated.  He  could 
simply  say:  "0  my  Father,  if  it  be  possi- 
ole,   let   this    cup    pass    from   me:    neverthe- 


136  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

less,  not  as  I  will,  but  as  thou  wilt.'^ 
''The  second  time  he  prayed,  saying,  0  my 
Father,  if  this  cup  may  not  pass  away 
from  me,  except  I  drink  it,  thy  will  be 
done."  "He  prayed  the  third  time,  saying 
the  same  words."  This  is  the  way  the  soul 
acts  when  swayed  by  powerful  emotions. 
There  is  unity  also  to  the  mind  by  reason 
of  the  singleness  and  power  of  the  feeling. 
The  prayer  from  the  nature  of  the  case  is 
short.  Or  if  it  is  lengthened,  it  will  have 
a  number  of  similar  expressions.  The  ur- 
gent prayers  of  the  Bible  are  of  this  char- 
acter. In  the  book  of  Daniel  we  have 
such  language  as  this:  "0  Lord,  hear;  0 
Lord,  forgive;  0  Lord,  hearken  and  do; 
defer  not,  for  thine  own  sake,  0  my  God." 
This  is  the  language  of  earnest,  painful 
emotion.  It  expresses  itself  in  broken  sen- 
tences. 

When  we  approach  God  in  prayer,  there 
is  a  suitable  balancing  of  aioe  and  freedom. 
On  the  one  hand,  we  do  not  rush  into  the 
divine  presence;  and  on  the  other  hand,  we 
do  not  fear  to  pronounce  the  infinite  name. 
The  great  Augustine,  though  he  carried  with 
him  a  profound  sense  of  sin  and  guilt,  had  a 


Worship  as  a  Central  Feature.     137 

holy  freedom  and  boldness  when  he  ap- 
proached the  Divme  Bemg.  "Indeed,  the 
feeling  which  Augustine  bears  towards  the 
Blessed  Triune  God,  can  not  be  better  ex- 
pressed than  by  the  word  affectionateness. 
There  is  in  his  experience  awe  '  deep  as 
the  centre  '  ;  there  is  humility  absolute ;  there 
is  the  reverential  fear  of  the  wing-veiled  ser- 
aphim; but  there  is,  also,  in  and  through  it 
all,  that  confiding  love  which  is  both  war- 
ranted and  elicited  by  the  dying  prayer  of 
the  Redeemer."  *  The  Moravians  have  been 
distinguished  for  their  ease  and  childlike  free- 
dom in  the  whole  of  their  worship.  This 
characteristic  has  been  cultivated  by  a  vivid 
sense  of  Christ  as  their  God  and  Saviour. 
He  seems  to  be  so  near  to  them,  that  they 
open  their  heart  with  gladness.  They  have 
a  present  salvation,  a  present  Saviour,  and 
so  with  an  assured  faith  and  a  fervent  love 
they  offer  up  their  supplications.  The  primi- 
tive Christians  were  very  much  in  the  same 
blessed  state.  They  thought  of  Christ,  loved 
him,  worshipped  him.  They  were  not  ser- 
vants,  but   friends.     The   more  the    Christly 

*  Prof.  Shedd's  Introduction  to  "Augustine's  Confessions," 
p.  19. 


138  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

element  enters  into  .  our  piety  and  our 
prayers,  the  more  shall  we  have  a  suitable 
balancing  of  awe  and  freedom. 

We  come  now  to  the  fact  oi praise  as  a  con- 
stituent of  worship.  The  soul  is  charmed  by 
a  conception  of  the  divine  glory,  and  so  it 
praises  the  Divine  Being.  When  we  turn 
to  the  Psalms,  we  are  struck  with  the  flow  of 
exultant  emotion.  We  hear  David  saying:  "I 
will  extol  thee,  my  God,  0  King,  and  I  will 
bless  thy  name  for  ever  and  ever."  *'I  will 
speak  of  the  glorious  honor  of  thy  majesty, 
and  of  thy  wondrous  works."  "  Praise  the 
Lord  with  harp:  sing  unto  him  with  the 
psaltery  and  an  instrument  of  ten  strings." 
We  notice  here  a  certain  exuberance  and 
joy.  The  flood  gates  of  the  soul  are  opened, 
and  the  glad  feelings  of  praise  rush  forth. 
There  is  a  degree  of  ecstasy;  a  species  of 
holy  abandon.  Perhaps  the  Oriental  mind 
was  emotional  and  expressive.  Western  na- 
tures are  colder;  not  so  easily  moved;  not  in- 
clined to  sound  forth  gladsome  feelings.  Still 
our  praise  should  have  vitality  and  volume. 
There  should  be  tone  to  it.  Heart  is  needed, 
whether  the  worship  is  ecstatic  or  calm. 

Our   hymnology    is    not   always    fitted  for 


Worship  as  a  Central  Feature.      139 

praise.  There  are  hymns  which  are  horta- 
tory in  their  nature.  They  make  us  to 
think  of  preaching;  and  when  sung,  they 
are  rather  aids  to  worship,  than  worship  it- 
self.    Take  this  hymn  as  an  instance: 

"Come,  ye  sinners!  heavy  laden, 
Lost  and  ruined  by  the  fall, — 
If  you  wait  till  you  are  better, 
You  will  never  come  at  all: 
Sinners  only, 
Christ,  the  Saviour,  came  to  call." 

It  is  perfectly  proper  to  sing  hymns  of  this 
character,  just  as  it  is  proper  to  preach  the 
truth  of  God.  The  gospel  can  be  sung  as 
well  as  preached.  It  should  be  known,  how- 
ever, that  to  sing  such  hj^mns  is  not  strictly 
worship.  There  are  other  hymns  which  are 
of  the  nature  of  a  meditation.  Take  this 
one  as  a  specimen: 

"When  musing  sorrow  weeps  the  past, 
And  mourns  the  present  pain. 
How  sweet  to  think  of  peace  at  last. 
And  feel  that  death  is  gain ! " 

There  would  not  be  much  reason  in  say- 
ing, ''Let  us  worship  God,  in  singing  the 
above  hymn."  As  a  thoughtful  piece  of 
poetry  it  may  answer;  but  not  as  the  chaii- 


140  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

nel  or  expression  of  worship.  The  sentiment 
of  many  hymns,  however,  is  that  of  direct 
praise.     These  for  example: 

"Jesus,  lover  of  my  soul." 

*'Kock  of  ages  cleft  for  me." 

"  Great  God  !  how  infinite  art  thou !" 

*' Praise  to  thee,  thou  great  Creator!" 

The  adoration  of  Grod  in  psalms  and  hymns 
and  spiritual  songs  is  to  be  a  fact.  Noth- 
ing is  to  be  substituted  for  this.  However 
eager  we  may  be  to  impress  the  souls  of 
men,  the  full-volumed  worship  of  Grod  is  to 
be  made  the  chief  matter.  Worship  is  an 
end;  not  the  means  to  an  end.  If  I  attempt 
to  worship  God  as  a  means  of  spiritual  im- 
provement, I  do  not  worship  him  at  all. 
Professor  Schobeiiein,  in  his  "Theory  of 
Public  Worship,"  states  the  point  in  this 
way:  ''Even  the  object  of  edification,  itself 
the  purest  and  most  comprehensive  that 
could  have  been  contemplated,  did  not 
originate  worship.  Do  I  pray,  praise  God, 
and  give  thanks,  in  order  to  edify  myself? 
Such  express  design  throws  the  soul  into 
a  position  and  state  injurious  to  the  sim- 
ple, childlike  feeling  of  worship,  and  so 
hinders    real    edification.     Design    and    effect 


Worship  as  a  Central  Feature.      141 

should  not  be  confounded  in  this  matter. 
An  effect  of  worship  is  indeed  the  good  of 
the  soul,  just  as  the  divine  pleasure  is  also. 
But,  exactly  when  we  do  not  seek  these  as 
objects,  are  they  the  most  certain  to  follow."  * 
Praise  to  God  naturally  connects  itself 
with  music.  This  is  finer  and  more  ethe- 
real than  human  speech.  It  is  really  a 
language  by  itself.  It  sounds  the  depths 
of  the  soul  as  no  words  of  man  can  ever 
sound  them.  It  can  awaken  fear  and  ter- 
ror, sublimity  and  wonder,  joy  and  sad- 
ness, hope  and  courage,  love  and  hatred. 
It  seems  to  work  its  way  through  the  human 
spirit  as  if  it  were  a  divine  essence.  It  starts 
a  class  of  emotions  that  are  somewhat  indefi- 
nite, and  very  powerful  just  because  they  are 
indefinite.  Those  cries  of  the  soul  that  speak 
to  the  ear  of  God,  the  longings  that  go  out 
to  unbounded  reahties,  the  hidden  fires  that 
seem  to  burn  forever,  are  all  touched  and 
moved  by  the  power  of  music.  We  are 
awed  into  silence,  or  hurried  forward  into 
the  most  impetuous  action,  by  its  mysterious 
influence.  It  melts  many  a  heart  that  is 
hard,  and  causes  day  to  shine  upon  the  soul 

*  Presbyterian  "Quarterly  Review,"  vol.  vi.,  p.  426. 


142  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

that  is  wrapped  in  gloom.  We  think  of 
music  as  if  it  were  a  kind  of  heavenly  lan- 
guage; as  if  the  angels  used  it  during  their 
day  of  love;  and  glorified  men  praised  Grod 
with  it  in  the  courts  of  life.  That  music  is 
a  fit  vehicle  for  worship  can  not  be  doubted. 
It  gives  expression  to  all  the  feelings.  The 
devotional  mind  is  at  home  where  it  is  found. 
Praise  languishes  where  it  is  not  known. 

*'In  all  Christian  worship,"  says  Julius 
Miiller,  "  an  exalted  place  must  be  given 
to  music.  It  is  distinguished  from  sculp- 
ture, and  painting,  and  architecture,  by  its 
capability  of  repetition;  its  capability  of  most 
diversified  uses,  as  a  representation  of  a  great 
variety  of  objects,  and  in  forms  and  condi- 
tions not  less  numerous.  In  the  other  arts, 
we  have  presented  before  us  but  a  single 
object  or  a  single  group  of  objects,  in  one 
fixed  and  unchangeable  attitude;  a  represen- 
tation of  but  one  condition,  and  one  phase 
of  feeling.  The  idea  of  succession,  of  move- 
ment, of  activity,  is  foreign  to  these  arts; 
while  in  music  there  may  be  endless  va- 
riety. Hence  is  music  capable  of  entering 
into  the  province  of  worship  with  such  live- 
liness,  and  such  strength  of  effect.     A  mu- 


Worship  as  a  Central  Feature.      143 

sical  composition  is  capable  of  becoming,  as 
it  were,  a  history  of  the  interior  hfe  of  man, 
of  his  separation  from  God,  of  his  fellowship 
with  Christ."* 

The  very  fact,  however,  that  music  is  such 
a  power,  may  lead  one  to  fix  the  mind  upon 
it  as  the  chief  thing;  and  thus  worship  be 
gone  altogether.  The  sweet  sounds  attract; 
the  music  is  a  good  in  itself;  the  soul,  there- 
fore, rests  in  it.  Formalism  in  this  way  is 
introduced;  introduced  almost  unconsciously. 
It  is  to  be  feared  that  the  department  of 
praise  in  public  worship  is,  in  many  cases, 
nothing  but  a  mere  name.  The  hearts  of 
the  professed  worshippers  do  not  ascend  to 
Grod  in  the  language  of  the  hymn,  aided  by 
the  music.  They  sing;  sing  with  sweetness 
and  life;  but  not  with  the  spirit  and  the  un- 
derstanding. Praise  must  assume  its  right- 
ful place  in  the  Christian  mind.  The  idola- 
try of  form  must  give  way  to  the  pure 
worship  of  God. 

•  "Bibliotheca  Sacra,"  voL  xiv.,  p.  814. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

DEC  A  YIN  THE  RELIGION  OF  CHRIST  FROM  CAUSES 
IN  HUMAN  NA  TURE. 

TTIEWma  Christianity  ideally  it  has  no 
principle  of  decay.  Like  its  Author 
it  is  complete.  But  viewing  it  as  a  life  in 
fallen  souls,  struggling  to  restore  them  to 
the  image  of  Grod,  it  works  under  great  dis- 
advantages. That  there  are  Christian  men 
who  battle  most  nobly  with  inward  corrup- 
tion, and  who  show  scarcely  any  symptom 
of  moral  decline,  is  a  pleasant  fact;  but  there 
are  others  who  yield  to  the  tendencies  of  a 
bad  nature.  "If  you  make  a  dog  a  king, 
will  he  not  still  gnaw  leather  ? " 

I.  Decay  in  Religion  from  Evils  of  the 
Heart. 

1.  Decay  from  indifference.  A  heart  that 
is  partly  sanctified,  is  a  heart  that  is  partly 
stupefied.  Indwelling  sin  is  indwelling  death. 
Every  Christian  is  conscious  of  a  certain  dull- 


Decay  in  Religion.  145 

iiess;  and  if  he  yields  to  that  he  sinks.  ''  The 
Scythians  used  to  strike  the  cords  of  their 
bows  at  their  feasts  to  remind  themselves 
of  danger."  If  we  are  intent  against  heavi- 
ness it  will  flee  away. 

2.  Decay  in  religion  may  spring  from  the 
lo\e  of  ease.  Love  of  ease  is  the  twin-sister 
of  indifference.  It  wishes  neither  to  carry 
a  cross  nor  to  walk  through  darkness.  The 
great  responsibilities,  the  severe  duties,  the 
self-denials  of  the  Christian  calling,  it  wants 
not.  The  love  of  ease  is  pure  indolence  and 
selhshness.  He  who  listens  to  this  feeling 
loses  power.  He  does  nothing,  and  is  noth- 
ing. There  are  birds  that  pass  on  to  the  sun- 
ny south  through  storms  as  well  as  through 
pleasaat  skies,  while  others  rest  on  their  way 
till  the  mists  and  clouds  depart.  If  we  would 
win  we  must  work.  Glreat  hindrances  may 
be  great  helps. 

3.  A  careless  habit  will  open  the  way  to 
spiritual  declension.  He  who  forgets  his 
Bible,  his  closet,  his  church,  is  in  the  arms 
of  death.  Forgetfulness  is  one  of  the  broad 
ways  of  sin.  A  ship  can  be  lost  by  care- 
lessness as  well  as  by  design.     The  evils  of 

life  come   mainly  through  inattention.     If  I 
10 


146  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

mind  not  I  find  not.  Many  a  Christian  lands 
himself  in  darkness,  because  he  thought  not 
of  the  light.  Souls  are  lost  at  no  cost. 
"Every  man  has  a  weak  side;  but  a  wise 
man  knows  where  it  is,  and  will  be  sure  to 
keep  a  double  guard  there." 

4.  The  attractive  element  of  sin  may  draw 
the  mind  away  from  the  path  of  holiness. 
The  fallen  nature  loves  its  own  quality  as 
the  drunkard  loves  his  cups,  the  gambler 
his  cards,  the  thief  his  plunder.  All  may 
admit  that  sin  is  evil;  but  it  has  certain 
pleasures  connected  with  it,  and  for  the 
sake  of  these  it  is  chosen.  The  corrupt 
affections  want  to  be  gratified,  while  they 
ought  to  be  crucified. 

5.  The  secular  spirit  hastens  the  decay  of 
piety.  It  is  like  frost  to  a  flower,  rust  to 
iron,  the  leprosy  to  man.  If  the  world  holds 
the  soul,  the  soul  holds  the  world.  Fervor 
in  religion,  a  strong  faith,  a  bright  hope,  holy 
activity,  are  impossible  if  the  secular  spirit 
reigns.  The  ancients  say  that  at  Epirus 
there  was  a  fountain  which  had  the  strange 
power  of  not  only  extinguishing  a  flame, 
but  also  of  kindling  one.  Spirituality  of 
mind  will   be   sure  to  burn  up   worldliness, 


Decay  in  Religion.  147 

while  it  will  kindle  into  a  flame  those  aspi- 
rations that  seek  for  holiness  and  G-od. 

6.  A  wayward  imagination  is  another  cause 
of  decline  in  religion.  The  imagination  is  the 
gymnasium  where  souls  are  trained  to  vice. 
This  faculty  paints  and  pleases.  When  re- 
ligious men  startle  others  by  a  sudden  plunge 
into  evil,  the  work  began  in  the  imagination. 
Their  deceptions,  plots,  and  impure  deeds 
flourished  for  a  season  in  this  unseen  realm. 
It  is  a  question  even  whether  the  fall  of 
the  first  man  was  not  hastened  by  the  im- 
agination. 

7.  Attachment  to  a  particular  sin  will 
deaden  the  religious  nature.  A  besetting 
sin  may  be  the  bane  of  life,  producing  the 
greatest  misery.  Sometimes  there  is  an  at- 
tempt to  be  exceedingly  careful  with  a 
round  of  duties  that  are  easy,  so  as  to  make 
up,  as  it  were,  for  this  sin  that  is  difficult 
to  manage.  One  may  even  dash  off  into 
a  splended  course  of  self-denial,  thinking  in 
this  way  to  atone  for  the  evil  that  will  not 
die. 

8.  A  want  of  childlike  simplicity  will 
start  decay  in  religion.  There  is  apt  to 
hang    around    the    soul    a   vast    number    of 


148  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

fictitious  appendages.  The  veritable  man  is 
hidden  from  view.  He  is  bmned  beneath 
conventionahsms,  forms  of  Hfe,  and  a  glare 
of  appearances.  Pure  religion  needs  no  art 
to  decorate  it.  Holiness  can  not  be  made 
more  beautiful  than  it  is.  Truth  can  not 
be  improved.  To  be  a  man,  one  must  be 
a  child.  The  most  gifted  natures  are  dis- 
tinguished for  simplicity. 

9.  Religion  declines  when  pure  feelings  are 
not  acted  out.  When  I  feel  that  I  ought  to 
speak  for  God,  be  more  benevolent,  more 
circumspect  in  my  dealings,  and  do  not  lis- 
ten to  the  feeling,  I  harden  the  heart.  If 
the  great  duties  of  the  Christian  life  are 
pressed  upon  my  attention,  and  I  heed  not 
the  emotions  that  are  awakened,  I  of  ne- 
cessity dampen  and  deaden  the  emotional 
nature.  There  is  pleasure  in  mere  feeling; 
and  there  is  danger  on  that  account  that 
one  will  rest  in  it.  If  the  church  can  be 
turned  into  a  theatre,  the  pulpit  into  a  stage, 
the  minister  into  an  acter,  and  the  soul  be 
thrilled  by  his  words,  all  is  well.  Yea,  if 
the  feelings  languish,  and  the  accustomed 
ministration  is  not  sufficient  to  move  them, 
then  a  method  that  is  startling  and  exciting 


Decay  in  Religion.  149 

must  be  adopted.     But  what  is  all  this  but 
the  Play  of  Death. 

10.  Sin  viewed  as  enmity  is  the  chief  pow- 
er that  causes  decay  in  religion.  All  the 
points  that  have  been  mentioned  find  their 
source  in  the  malice  that  still  lingers  in  the 
regenerate  heart.  "As  every  drop  of  poi- 
son is  poison,  and  will  infect,  and  every 
spark  of  fire  is  fire,  and  will  burn;  so  the 
last  and  least  particle  of  sin  is  enmity."  It 
is  because  of  this  hating  element  that  the 
good  man  feels  partly  disinchned  to  do  his 
duty. 

11.  Decay  in  Religion  from  Errors  of 
THE  Mind. 

1.  Decay  in  religion  may  be  the  result 
of  misguided  mental  enthusiasm.  A  glow 
of  pleasure  may  animate  the  understanding 
while  engaged  in  close  and  consecutive  think- 
ing; but  there  is  a  want  of  balance.  Truths 
of  great  moment  are  struck  off,  attracting  the 
mind  by  the  grandeur  of  their  appearance, 
but  alongside  of  them  are  errors  fraught  with 
evil.  Still  the  errors  are  not  seen.  They 
have  a  certain  clothing  of  majesty  as  if  they 
were  the  children  of  light,   and  are  listened 


150  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

to  as  if  they  were  the  voices  of  God.  There 
is  no  diminution  of  force  as  the  heated  in- 
tellect keeps  at  its  work;  yet  there  is  a 
principle  of  decay  eating  into  the  moral  na- 
ture. ''When  a  large  class  of  men/'  remarks 
Isaac  Taylor,  ' '  is  professionally  devoted  to 
the  study  of  theology,  there  will  not  be 
wanting  some  whose  mental  conformation 
impels  them  to  abandon  the  modest  path 
of  exposition,  and  to  seek,  within  the  pre- 
cincts of  religion,  for  the  gratifications  that 
accompany  abstruse  speculation,  discovery, 
invention,  exaggeration,  and  paradox.  All 
these  pleasures  of  a  morbid  or  misdirected 
intellectual  activity  may  be  obtained  in  the 
regions  of  theology,  not  less  than  in  those 
of  mathematical  and  physical  science,  if  once 
the  restraints  of  a  religious  and  heartfelt 
reverence  for  the  authority  of  the  word  of 
God  are  discarded.  The  principal  heresies 
that  have  disturbed  the  Church  may,  no 
doubt,  fairly  be  attributed  to  motives  spring- 
ing from  the  pride  or  perverse  dispositions 
of  the  human  heart;  but  often  a  mere  in- 
tellectual enthusiasm  has  been  the  real  source 
of  false  doctrine."  * 

*  "Natural  Hist,  of  Enthusiasm,"  p.  82. 


Decay  in  Religion.  151 

2.  The  influence  of  false  philosophy  tends 
to  weaken  the  religious  nature.  There  are 
few  men  who  are  able  to  view  Christianity 
as  it  stands  forth  in  its  own  divine  single- 
ness. They  do  not  place  the  mind  right  in 
front  of  it,  that  that  mind  may  be  quickened 
by  its  full  power.  Commonly  through  some 
medium  is  the  religion  of  Christ  reached. 
We  explain  its  doctrines  by  the  aid  of  a 
particular  system  of  metaphysics,  and  its 
commands  by  a  particular  system  of  ethics. 
No  sooner  had  Christianity  spread  itself 
among  the  nations  than  the  philosophies  of 
heathenism  rushed  forward  to  corrupt  it. 
The  speculations  about  matter,  mind,  and 
God,  were  mixed  up  with  Christian  truth; 
so  that  speedily  the  religion  of  the  New 
Testament  was  changed  into  another  form, 
— half  heathenism  and  half  Christianity.  It 
was  next  to  impossible  to  find  a  person  who 
had  the  pure  religion  of  apostolic  men. 

3.  When  the  soul  loves  the  piety  of  ab- 
stract thinking,  rather  than  the  piety  of 
moral  action,  there  is  a  principle  of  decay 
at  work.  There  are  minds  which  desire  to 
revel  in  a  region  of  solitude  where  all  is 
quiet,    and   where    tlie   urgent   necessities  of 


152  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

life  press  not  upon  souls.  It  is  not  labor 
that  pleases,  but  communion  with  thoughts 
of  a  certain  order,  losing  one's  self  in  the 
great  abysses  of  being,  breaking  away  as  it 
were  from  matter  and  time.  This  mystical 
form  of  piety  is  seen  in  all  ages.  Especially 
is  it  seen  during  periods  of  strife  and  for- 
malism. At  such  times  the  pensive  spirit, 
weary  of  life,  sinks  into  itself;  hoping  there 
to  meet  the  good  that  it  wants.  Such  a 
religion  is  one-sided.  It  is  pale  by  reason 
of  its  seclusion  and  want  of  action.  It  re- 
minds us  more  of  the  Hindoo  contemplatist, 
than  of  the  Christian  soldier. 

4.  Reverence  for  things  that  are  second- 
ary, with  no  sufficient  reverence  for  things 
of  superior  moment,  generates  decay.  The 
history  of  the  Church  of  the  first  centuries 
shows  how  religion  was  corrupted  by  undue 
attachment  to  secondary  objects.  The  mar- 
tyrs were  honored  above  reason  and  above 
Scripture;  and  so  there  arose  the  adoration 
of  relics,  of  idols,  and  of  saints;  the  infinite 
God  not  receiving  that  worship  that  was 
due  unto  his  name.  A  mystical  and  re- 
demptive power  was  attached  to  the  Chris- 
tian   sacraments;    so    that    men    approached 


Decay  in  Religion.  153 

them  as  they  approach  the  Most  High. 
Thus  their  beautiful  simpUcity  was  lost.  A 
class  of  artificial  virtues  soon  appeared,  and 
new  sins  troubled  the  consciences  of  men. 
An  ascetic  life  was  placed  upon  a  level 
with  the  life  of  the  angels,  and  the  com- 
mon tribe  of  disciples  had  to  enter  heaven 
by  a  less  royal  way.  The  laws  and  tradi- 
tions of  men  were  kept  with  greater  strict- 
ness than  the  commands  and  teachings  of 
Grod.  A  kind  of  human  and  materialized 
piety  prevailed.  The  religious  nature  was 
in  this  way  perverted;  its  strength  was 
drawn  off,  and  sent  along  subordinate  chan- 
nels. 

5.  A  diplomatic  form  of  piety  weakens 
the  Christian  emotions.  There  is  such  a 
thing  as  tact  and  good  judgment.  These 
are  to  be  used  in  well-doing.  A  blind 
goodness  is  wickedness.  The  want  of  dis- 
cretion is  sin.  Still  the  religion  of  diplo- 
macy is  not  the  religion  of  Christ.  There 
is  something  of  the  earthly  about  it.  The 
Jesuitical  form  of  piety  and  the  diplomatic, 
are  of  the  same  parentage.  An  attempt 
is  made  to  extend  the  kingdom  of  Christ 
as  men  extend  other  ki-igdoms;  namely,  by 


154  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

expediency  and  compromise.  Sin  is  not 
viewed  as  so  dark  and  holiness  not  as  so 
bright,  as  they  are  in  themselves.  Good 
and  evil  are  brought  closer  together  by 
this  means,  and  are  made  to  treat  each 
other  with  a  degree  of  respect.  The  relig- 
ious mind  is  thus  contaminated.  It  is  Chris- 
tian and  anti- Christian  at  the  same  time. 
Evils  that  were  at  first  condemned,  are  af- 
terwards winked  at,  then  finally  approved. 
There  was  not  sufficient  moral  power  to 
overcome  the  evils;  and  so,  turning  neces- 
sity into  a  virtue,  they  were  pronounced 
to  be  good.  In  this  way  the  world  gains 
upon  the  Church,  and  in  this  way  the  dip- 
lomatic disciple  sinks  into  the  world. 

When  religion  is  popular  and  fashionable 
it  declines.  We  are  apt  to  think  that  when 
the  bark  of  God  is  pressing  ahead  with  flying 
colors,  full  sails,  and  every  state-room  occu- 
pied with  gleeful  people,  that  then  all  is 
prosperous.  Great  mistake.  The  Church 
and  the  world  are  two  distinct  companies. 
Christianity  is  popular  in  heaven.  But  upon 
this  earth,  where  the  whole  race  are  lost, 
the  religion  of  the  Sinless  One  can  not  be 
popular.     A   religion    that   is  fashionable    is 


Decay  in  Religion.  155 

not  a  well -fashioned   religion.     If  Satan   is 
pleased  with  me,  God  is  displeased. 

6.  When  unconverted  men  are  allowed  to 
connect  themselves  with  the  Church,  piety 
languishes.  It  certainly  is  a  fact  that  Chris- 
tianity during  the  early  centuries  went  into 
an  eclipse,  and  continued  in  that  eclipse 
for  more  than  a  thousand  years,  because 
crowds  of  the  unconverted  became  members 
of  the  Church.  Such  men  are  viewed  as  pi- 
ous when  they  have  no  piety.  Their  influ- 
ence, therefore,  deceives  and  destroys.  The 
good  follow  them  as  if  they  were  good. 
Their  practices  are  adopted;  their  opinions 
are  praised;  their  pleasures  find  favor  with 
unsuspecting  souls.  In  a  season  not  long 
the  scale  of  piety  sinks.  Worldliness  gains 
friends,  and  the  friends  of  God  become 
worldly.  A  pleasant  formalism  takes  the 
place  of  religion.  Men  join  the  Church 
with  faith  in  a  creed,  but  with  no  faith  in 
Christ.  If  they  possess  a  few  of  the  virtues 
of  nature,  these  are  accepted  for  the  graces 
of  the  Spirit.  The  result  of  all  this  is,  that 
men  outside  of  the  Church  despise  it,  and 
men  inside  pull  it  down.  The  great  enemy 
of  the  Church  is  the  Church.     Professed  fol- 


is6  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

lowers  of  Christ  are  writing  against  Chris- 
tianity. The  Bible  to  them  is  too  large,  the 
supernatural  too  common,  the  atonement  too 
painful,  the  sinful  state  of  man  too  sinful, 
the  way  to  heaven  too  difficult,  the  punish- 
ment of  the  wicked  too  long.  That  religion 
is  blighted  by  such  a  state  of  things  can  not 
be  denied.  Although  unconverted  men  will 
find  their  way  into  the  Church,  even  when 
those  who  guard  its  portals  are  the  most 
careful,  no  premium  should  be  offered  to 
tempt  them  thus  to  come.  A  smaller  and 
purer  Church  will  exert  a  far  better  influ- 
ence on  society,  than  one  that  is  larger  and 
more  corrupt.  Nothing  succeeds,  in  the  long- 
run,  like  holiness.  The  Christianity  of  ap- 
pearance covers  a  great  surface  and  counts 
a  great  number;  while  the  Christianity  of 
reality  is  limited,  yet  strong  with  the  strength 
of  God. 

III.  Decay  in  Religion  from  a  deceived 
Conscience. 

"Many  species  of  the  genus  Mantis, ^^  says 
the  Duke  of  Argyle,  "  are  wholly  modelled 
in  the  form  of  vegetable  growths.  The  legs 
are  made  to  imitate  leaf-stalks,  the  body  is 


Decay  in  Religion.  157 

elongated  and  notched  so  as  to  simulate  a 
twig;  the  segment  of  the  shoulders  is  spread 
out  and  flattened  in  the  likeness  of  a  seed- 
vessel;  and  the  large  wings  are  exact  imita-i 
tions  of  a  full  blown  leaf,  with  all  its  veins 
and  skeleton  complete,  and  all  its  color  and 
apparent  texture.  There  is  something  star- 
tling and  almost  horrible  in  the  completeness 
of  the  deception — very  horrible  it  must  be 
to  its  hapless  victims.  It  is  the  habit  of 
these  creatures  to  sit  upon  the  leaves  which 
they  so  closely  resemble,  apparently  motion- 
less, but  really  advancing  on  their  prey 
with  a  slow  and  insensible  approach.  Their 
structure  disarms  suspicion,"*  These  insects 
make  us  to  think  of  a  deceived  conscience. 
1.  If  I  am  under  obligation  to  perform 
certain  duties,  while  as  yet  I  do  not  know 
what  these  duties  are,  the  want  of  knowl- 
edge will  cause  my  conscience  to  give  forth 
a  wrong  decision.  Thousands  of  pious  men 
are  not  troubled  in  the  least  in  regard  to 
certain  sins  which  they  commit,  because  to 
them  they  are  not  viewed  as  sins.  Igno- 
rance, however,  can  not  excuse  me  if  knowl- 
edge is  within  my  reach.     Conscience  is  nec- 

♦  "Reign  of  Law,"  p.  184. 


158  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

essarily  connected  with  the  intellect;  and  to 
the  extent  that  the  judgment  is  sound  the 
conscience  is  sound.  There  is  a  vast  differ- 
ence between  Christian  minds  of  a  former 
age  and  those  of  the  present  in  regard  to 
temperance,  the  toleration  of  religious  opin- 
ions, personal  liberty,  and  the  duty  of  car- 
rying the  gospel  to  the  heathen.  Certain 
things  are  now  seen  to  be  evil  that  were 
not  seen  before,  and  certain  things  are  now 
seen  to  be  good  that  were  not  seen  before. 
2.  Natural  traits  which  resemble  those  that 
are  spiritual  may  deceive  the  conscience. 
The  excitable  Christian  may  think  that  he 
has  more  holy  vitality  than  rightly  belongs 
to  him.  He  may  give  himself  credit  for 
unction  in  his  prayers  and  in  his  speaking, 
and  others  may  attribute  the  same  quality 
to  him,  when  the  chief  power  at  work  is 
nervousness,  along  with  a  certain  sweet  tone 
of  voice  and  a  theatric  manner.  There  are 
genial  characters,  persons  who  wear  a  sunny 
smile  and  manifest  a  fine  cheerfulness,  who 
may  not  allow  sufficiently  for  these  traits 
when  they  note  down  the  amount  of  pure 
and  heavenly  joy.  There  are  men  who  are 
distinguished    by  nature   for   gentleness   and 


Decay  in  Religion.  159 

amiability,  who  may  seem  to  themselves 
holier  than  they  are.  Then  we  have  the 
erratic  and  eccentric  species,  who  take  great 
liberties  in  speech  and  action.  They  have  a 
kind  of  dashing  and  haphazard  method;  and 
evil  is  done  when  they  know  it  not. 

3.  Prejudice  is  sure  to  deceive  the  moral 
faculty.  If  there  be  prejudice  against  cer- 
tain truths,  these  truths  will  not  be  seen  as 
they  are.  If  one  is  prejudiced  against  cer- 
tain methods  of  action,  certain  institutions 
of  rehgion,  certain  duties  to  be  done,  he  will 
be  sure  to  form  a  false  judgment.  There 
may  be  prejudice  also  against  certain  per- 
sons ;  and  this  will  so  influence  the  mind 
that,  however  nobly  they  may  act,  there 
will  be  dissatisfaction  with  them.  Thus  a 
hating  and  hateful  disposition  will  be  culti- 
vated. It  was  prejudice  which  led  men  to 
distort  the  life  of  Christ.  Prejudice  con- 
demned him,  and  prejudice  nailed  him  to 
the  tree. 

4.  N'ear  relationship  may  lead  us  to  ap- 
prove sinful  acts  in  our  friends.  If  the 
father  of  a  family  is  acquiring  wealth  by 
certain  questionable  speculations,  the  chil- 
dren will  be  very  apt  to  justify  him  in  the 


..7  e.-? 


i6o  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

course  he  is  pursuing.  If  we  have  a  relative 
who  owns  a  distillery,  employs  a  large  num- 
ber of  men,  and  treats  them  with  great  kind- 
ness, we  shall  be  tempted  to  uphold  him  in 
his  business.  If  any  member  of  our  house- 
hold is  making  money  by  unnecessary  labor 
on  the  Sabbath,  we  will  be  inclined  to  look 
charitably  on  this  breach  of  God's  law. 

5.  An  evil  that  we  condemned  when  it 
first  appeared,  may  be  approved  when  it  is 
fixed  into  a  habit.  Familiarity  with  evil 
makes  it  to  appear  less  hateful.  While  the 
bad  habit  was  allowed  to  form,  a  golden 
haze  spread  over  it,  and  conscience  was  led 
astray.  The  fact  that  we  have  permitted 
the  evil  to  take  possession  of  the  soul  and 
to  hold  there  a  kind  of  sovereignty,  shows 
that  we  have  been  somewhat  favorable  to 
it.  To  the  rule  of  the  new  power,  there- 
fore, we  try  to  submit  as  gracefully  as  we 
can.  Things  are  not  as  bad  as  we  antici- 
pated. To  make  defeat  a  virtue  is  now  the 
effort  of  the  soul.  One  does  not  love  to 
condemn  himself  in  that  which  he  allows. 
We  therefore  take  the  final  step  and  ap- 
prove the  bad  habit.  Certain  evil  customs 
in  a  community  may  come   to   be   approved 


Decay  in  Religion.  i6i 

in  the  same  way,  although  at  first  they  were 
condemned.  If  we  are  thrust  into  painful 
circumstances,  and  find  it  hard  to  escape 
from  them,  the  mind  shapes  itself  to  these 
circumstances,  and  tries  to  feel  comfortable. 
6.  The  very  tenacity  with  which  one  clings 
to  an  opinion  or  form  of  life  may  make  it 
appear  right,  when  in  reality  it  is  wrong. 
The  fixed  intention  of  the  mind  not  to  re- 
consider the  matter,  the  absence  of  all  fear, 
and  the  general  satisfaction  with  our  belief 
and  life,  delude  the  conscience.  It  would  be 
a  great  gain  to  certain  persons  if  they  would 
allow  themselves  to  doubt.  The  very  back- 
wardness to  re-examine  the  principles  that 
govern  us  is  suspicious.  It  would  seem  as 
if  we  had  a  distant  thought  that  the  ground 
we  stand  on  is  not  quite  solid,  and  so  we 
assume  a  decided  tone  in  order  to  keep  the 
mind  steady.  If  there  be  great  self-sacri- 
fice connected  with  some  duty,  and  we  do 
not  want  to  perform  it,  the  tendency  will 
be  to  shut  it  out  with  the  thought,  that 
it  does  not  come  within  the  range  of  our  ob- 
ligation. The  unpleasant,  however,  is  very 
often  the   right,    while    the    pleasant   is   the 


11 


i62  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

7.  Selfishness  tends  to  deceive  the  con- 
science. It  is  next  to  impossible  to  find  a 
man  who  condemns  himself  for  not  being 
sufficiently  benevolent.  Covetousness  and 
deception  are  just  as  sure  to  go  together 
as  night  and  darkness.  The  miser  is  sure 
that  he  is  right,  though  not  a  single  deed  of 
love  warms  his  heart.  Selfishness  will  cause 
a  man  to  affirm  that  he  has  no  qualifications 
for  certain  positions;  hoping  in  that  way  to 
escape  the  labors  and  responsibilities  which 
he  does  not  love;  wishing  also  to  appear 
humble,  that  thus  he  may  have  the  credit 
of  goodness. 

8.  Presenting  a  good  reason  for  a  course 
of  action,  when  a  bad  reason  was  the  govern- 
ing one,  the  conscience  is  likely  to  be  de- 
ceived. It  very  often  happens  that  a  num- 
ber of  motives  combine  their  power  in  order 
to  lead  the  will  to  act.  There  is  a  tendency, 
therefore,  to  select  the  best  appearing  mo- 
tive, and  present  that  as  the  reason  for 
action;  when,  as  matter  of  truthfulness,  a 
vicious  motive  had  the  supreme  control. 
The  Pharisees  no  doubt  convinced  them- 
selves that  they  revered  the  ancient  proph- 
ets, inasmuch  as  they  repaired  and  beautified 


Decay  in  Religion.  163 

their  tombs;  and  yet  they  had  not  the  least 
sympathy  with  the  hfe  of  those  godly  men. 
If  a  particular  sin  turns  out  better  than  was 
expected,  the  guilty  person  will  quiet  his 
conscience  by  looking  at  this  favorable  turn 
of  affairs.  Sometimes,  by  the  intervention 
of  God,  heavenly  benefits  are  linked  on  to 
the  evil  actions  of  man;  and  so  the  trans- 
gressor being  attracted  by  these,  views  them 
as  the  fair  result  of  his  deeds. 

9.  Persons  may  be  deceived  by  following 
the  first  impulse.  An  impulse  at  the  mo- 
ment may  seem  to  be  right,  but  when  care- 
fully examined  it  is  found  to  be  wrong.  If 
the  impulse  is  very  exciting,  there  may  be 
danger.  Excitement  may  confuse  the  mind; 
things  may  not  be  looked  at  in  their  en- 
tireness;  arguments  may  not  be  properly 
weighed;  and  so  the  person  is  led  astray. 
The  proper  way,  then,  is  to  wait  till  the 
excitement  passes  over,  that  with  composure 
and  carefulness  we  may  look  the  matter 
through  and  through.  Having  done  this, 
we  can  decide  upon  the  course  that  is  best. 

10.  A  first  impulse,  however,  may  be 
right,  while  the  cool  judgment  may  be  noth- 
ing but  sin.     Robert   Hall    says:    "In  mat- 


164  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

ters  of  prudence,  last  thoughts  are  best;  in 
morahty,  your  first  thoughts  are  best."  To 
let  slip  a  true  impulse  of  conscience,  under 
the  plea  that  we  had  better  wait,  is  to  be- 
come both  weak  and  wicked.  An  excitation 
of  love  may  come  forth  in  a  moment — point- 
ing to  an  act  that  should  be  done,  or  a  word 
that  should  be  spoken — to  follow  that  is  both 
wise  and  good.  The  first  impulse  relating  to 
some  great  moral  questions  is  quite  likely  to 
be  right,  because  selfish  considerations  have 
had  no  time  to  work.  Even  when  the  im- 
pulse is  all  on  fire,  we  may  yet  follow  its 
guidance  with  the  utmost  safety.  There  is 
no  other  way  sometimes  to  perform  a  great 
religious  act  except  under  the  influence  of 
high  excitement.  The  excitement  breaks  up 
the  monotony  of  the  soul,  sweeps  aAvay  the 
difficulties  that  lie  across  our  path,  urges  us 
forward;  and  so  we  go  and  do  that  which 
is  right.  When  the  question  was  settled  on 
Mount  Carmel  that  Jehovah  is  God,  and  all 
the  people  were  intensely  excited,  Elijah  just 
at  that  time,  himself  under  excitement,  took 
the  four  hundred  and  fifty  false  prophets  and 
put  them  to  death.  There  is  no  likelihood 
that   such    a   notable    act    could   have    been 


Decay  in  Religion.  165 

performed  at  any  other  time  than  that  time 
of  excitement. 

11.  Conscience  may  be  deceived  by  good 
running  into  evil.  The  step  from  one  to 
the  other  may  not  have  been  noticed.  The 
spurious  act  or  feehng  may  be  so  much 
hke  the  true  that  suspicion  is  not  awak- 
ened, {a.)  The  man  who  is  decided  may  be- 
come over-bearing.  The  tendency  will  be 
to  harshness  and  severity.  It  may  not  be 
long  before  decision  ends  in  stubbornness. 
(b.)  He  who  is  earnest  may  become  impatient. 
If  other  persons  are  sluggish,  this  annoys  the 
earnest  man.  He  begins  to  complain  and 
condemn.  The  earnestness  loses  itself  in  ill- 
temper,  (c.)  Firm  confidence  may  wander 
off  into  spiritual  pride.  Confidence  and  cer- 
tainty go  together ;  and  so  when  a  man  sees 
that  all  is  sure,  he  may  become  emboldened, 
highly  elated,  until  his  head  swims  with 
vain  glory.  The  angels  of  heaven  dropped 
from  faith  to  pride,  (d.)  Gentleness  may 
become  weakness.  A  mild  and  unobtru- 
sive character  may  lack  force;  and  the  lack 
of  force  leaves  the  soul  in  a  state  of  passiv- 
ity. The  spirit  that  is  gentle  may  at  length 
be  nothing  but  organized  ease  and  softness. 


i66  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

(e.)  Contentment  need  not  go  far  before  it 
reaches  indifference.  He  who  is  troubled 
about  nothing  may  very  soon  care  about 
nothing.  Care  must  be  taken  lest  content- 
ment be  simply  sanctified  dullness.  (/.)  A 
long-suffering  disposition  may  eat  out  bold- 
ness. There  is  a  time  for  justice  as  well  as 
for  mercy.  Long  suffering  may  be  long  sin- 
ning. He  who  will  not  take  sides  with  right, 
because  of  tenderness,  has  already  taken  sides 
with  wrong,  (g.)  Caution  may  become  timid- 
ity. Caution  wants  to  risk  nothing;  but  he 
who  risks  not  gains  not.  I  must  not  be 
rash;  but  if  I  halt,  when  I  ought  to  hasten, 
I  sin.  (A.)  Boldness  may  plunge  headlong 
into  rashness.  The  impetuosity  of  courage 
may  so  hurry  the  mind  along  that  neither 
dangers  nor  difficulties  are  sufficiently  con- 
sidered. The  bold  words  may  lack  judg- 
ment, and  the  measures  adopted  may  lack 
wisdom. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

MEANS   TO  ARREST  DECA  V  IN  THE  RELIGION  OF 
CHRIST. 

'T^HERE  is  an  indirect  as  well  as  a  direct 
method  of  arresting  decay  in  religion. 
In  order  to  thoroughness  of  restoration,  both 
methods  must  be  adopted. 

I.  A  View  of  the  Piety  of  the  early 
Christians  a  Means  to  arrest  Decay  in 
Religion. 

"The  device  upon  Whitefield's  seal  was  a 
winged  heart  soaring  above  the  globe;  and 
its  motto  was,  '  Astra  petamus  ' — Let  us  seek 
heaven."  The  early  Christians  were  men  of 
the  winged  heart.  The  very  sight  of  them 
inspires  us.  An  arrest  is  laid  upon  our  sin 
by  their  presence.  We  approach  the  like- 
ness of  the  object  we  are  contemplating. 

Their  religion  was  love.  The  love  seemed 
like  a  new  production;  as  if  it  had  come 
from  a  new  world.     It  was  not  that  of  race 


i68  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

or  sect;  not  that  of  a  mere  sentiment,  ap- 
pearing in  beauty  for  a  day,  and  then  at 
the  close  of  it  disappearing  forever.  It  was 
a  veritable  power,  bmniing  with  an  energy 
like  that  of  the  sun,  sending  forth  light  and 
neat  at  the  same  instant  of  time.  The  love 
nad  all  the  qualities  of  a  divine  affection. 
It  was  wise  and  discriminating,  self-sacrific- 
ing and  constant,  free  and  pure.  To  the 
lost  it  was  a  friend,  and  to  the  friend  it 
was  a  brother.  The  Creator  by  it  was 
adored,  the  Saviour  by  it  was  trusted. 
Its  strength  did  not  depart  in  tears.  If  it 
lamented,  it  also  labored.  Ko  more  beau- 
tiful sight  has  ever  appeared  than  the  early 
community  of  Christ,  cemented  and  hallowed 
by  love.  The  affection  took  its  rounded  form 
as  it  were  at  once.  It  was  clear  as  a  moun- 
tain stream,  and  glad  as  the  breeze  of  sum- 
mer. Distance  and  coldness,  calculation  and 
shrewdness,  do  not  appear  in  it.  It  is  a  sin- 
gle glory  as  that  of  a  star.  It  is  one  of  the 
rays  of  God.  There  is  a  certain  sweet  ve- 
hemence about  the  love;  a  kind  of  celestial 
freshness;  nothing  stereotyped;  the  whole 
natural  and  easy.  We  think  of  spring  on 
a  beautiful  day.     Trees  of  righteousness  are 


Means  to  Arrest  Decay.  169 

covered  with  buds  and  blossoms.  There  is 
no  wild  manifestation.  The  life  is  not  ec- 
centric. It  does  not  shoot  forth  and  then 
rest;  does  not  ebb  and  flow.  The  love  is  so 
normal  looking  that  one  is  drawn  towards  it. 
The  actions  come  in  their  time  even  as  the 
moments  and  hours  come.  There  is  a  certain 
originality  about  the  experience  which  arrests 
the  attention.  The  tide  of  love  never  rose  so 
high  before.     It  forms  an  epoch  in  history. 

In  the  piety  of  the  first  Christians  we  no- 
tice an  element  of  sirnpUcity.  There  is  a 
childlike  spirit.  Mere  extrinsic  glitter  does 
not  dazzle  the  eye.  There  is  nothing  tawdry 
and  gairish.  There  is  no  attempt  to  produce 
a  sensation.  Many  things  that  are  common 
to  other  men  are  not  seen  in  the  early  dis- 
ciples of  Jesus.  The  great  central  passion 
has  burned  up  that  which  was  superfluous, 
and  left  the  character  in  a  state  of  simplicity. 
"We  behold  a  species  of  holy  condensation. 
A  refining  process  has  been  at  work.  The 
alloy  has  been  expelled.  We  gaze  upon  the 
simple  pure  article  by  itself,  and  are  not 
startled  by  a  multiform  and  showy  great- 
ness. A  divine  reduction  has  given  to  us 
111  J    reality,    and    we    are    satisfied   with    it. 


I/O  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

There  is  consequently  a  simplicity  of  heart, 
of  manner,  and  of  action.  ISTot  a  single  phase 
of  the  Jesuitical  spirit  is  seen  in  those  first 
followers  of  Christ.  They  stand  forth  as  Is- 
raelites indeed  in  whom  there  is  no  guile. 
They  can  not  change  virtues  for  sins  and 
sins  for  virtues,  in  order  to  meet  circum- 
stances. The  plotting  and  the  underhanded 
do  not  characterize  them.  They  were  fine 
Christians;  but  had  not  the  qualities  to  make 
fine  politicians.  Indeed,  considering  that  so 
many  of  those  people  were  converted  Jews^ 
we  wonder  why  they  had  so  much  simplicity 
and  so  little  cunning.  Their  divine  lineage 
was  more  distinctly  marked  than  their  hu- 
man. There  was  a  plainness  about  them 
that  looked  like  truth,  and  a  sincerity  that 
looked  like  righteousness. 

The  first  disciples  had  di,  firm  persuasion  of 
the  truth  of  Christianity.  They  were  not 
governed  by  mere  speculation;  not  led  for- 
ward by  the  mere  force  of  an  opinion;  but 
^  they  stand  in  the  presence  of  unmistakable 
facts,  or  in  the  presence  of  eternal  ideas  that 
had  entered  into  time.  They  consequently 
act  out  of  a  consciousness  that  is  sure  and 
well  defined.     They  arrest  attention  by  this 


Means  to  Arrest  Decay.  171 

very  fact  of  certainty.  They  break  into  frag- 
ments every  false  system  and  every  false 
character  by  the  simple  blow  of  truth.  The 
great  chiefs  of  Christianity  were  men  of  mi- 
doubted  faith,  and  so  they  communicated 
their  spirit  to  others.  The  reign  of  belief 
in  this  way  spread.  Christians  seemed  to 
speak  with  authority ;  their  voice  seemed 
like  the  voice  of  God.  All  classes  were  told 
that  ''there  is  none  other  name  under  heaven 
given  among  men,  whereby  they  could  be 
saved,''  but  the  name  of  Jesus.  This  set- 
tled conviction  in  regard  to  the  truth  of 
Christianity  was  power  itself.  It  not  only 
conquered  opposition,  but  it  made  the  fol- 
lowers of  Christ  to  feel  that  their  religious 
experience  was  a  reality.  Thus  objectively 
and  subjectively  Christianity  was  to  them 
certain. 

They  exemplified  the  fact  of  unity  with 
singular  perfection.  One  thought  possessed 
them;  one  feeling  moved  them;  one  purpose 
governed  them.  There  was  no  mere  out- 
ward uniformity  thrust  upon  their  attention, 
which  they  were  compelled  to  adopt.  The 
union  came  out  of  their  soul,  and  expressed 
the   spiritual   state   of  the    soul.     They   had 


1/2  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

such  strength  and  purity  of  love  that  any 
thing  else  but  oneness  seemed  to  be  a  moral 
impossibility.  It  was  not  the  pride  of  an 
order  that  held  them  together;  not  the  sense 
of  consistency;  not  the  sense  of  duty.  They 
were  a  real  brotherhood  of  men;  the  only 
true  brotherhood  that  had  ever  appeared. 
Persons  talk  about  the  cosmopolitan  spirit; 
talk  about  unity,  fraternity,  hberty;  not 
knowing  that  the  first  Church  of  Jerusa- 
lem illustrated  these  characteristics  eighteen 
hundred  years  ago.  Those  noble  people 
had  simply  one  aim  in  life.  They  were 
gifted  with  the  single  eye.  Power,  there- 
fore, was  concentrated,  and  brought  to  a 
point.  Nothing  was  wasted;  there  was  no 
friction.  They  were  a  compact  body  filled 
with  the  Spirit;  living  for  God;  blessing  men. 
Their  Christianity  was  not  a  mere  passive 
and  contemplative  form  of  life.  Its  field  of 
effort  was  not  the  desert,  the  cave,  or  the 
solitary  human  spirit.  When  the  first  Chris- 
tians were  persecuted,  ''they  went  every- 
where preaching  the  gospel."  Religion  with 
them  was  whole-souled.  Its  law  was  action, 
its  nature  benevolence,  its  sphere  the  world. 
They   showed    also    great   steadfastness    of 


Means  to  Arrest  Decay.  173 

character  and  principle.  There  is  a  kind 
of  theoretic  steadfastness  which  one  may 
have  when  all  is  pleasant.  Soldiers  during 
a  time  of  peace  arrange  a  mock  battle. 
They  fight  bravely.  But  among  all  the  vic- 
tors not  one  is  wounded,  and  among  all  the 
vanquished  not  one  is  slain.  The  Chris- 
tianity of  early  times  had  to  be  reahstic. 
It  needed  the  utmost  force  and  vitality. 
Evil  was  aroused,  was  alarmed,  its  empire 
was  in  danger.  An  attempt  was  made  to 
overcome  the  new  religion.  To  overcome 
it  was  impossible.  There  was  an  obduracy 
of  principle  that  could  not  be  conquered. 
He  who  is  lost  in  God  is  never  defeated. 
Both  heathen  and  Jew  were  alike  aston- 
ished, were  alike  maddened.  The  new  su- 
perstition could  not  be  reasoned  with;  the 
new  moral  malady  could  not  be  cured:  there 
was  no  other  way  but  death  for  the  danger- 
ous men.  And  yet  even  death  itself  failed; 
Christianity  would  not  die.  Tertullian,  ad- 
dressing the  persecutors,  says:  ''All  your 
refinements  of  cruelty  can  accomplish  noth- 
ing; on  the  contrary,  they  serve  as  a  lure 
to  this  sect.  Our  number  increases,  the 
more    you    destroy    us.     The    blood    of   the 


174  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

Christians  is  the  seed  of  a  new  harvest. 
Your  philosophers,  who  exhort  to  the  en- 
durance of  pain  and  death,  make  fewer  dis- 
ciples by  their  words,  than  the  Christians  by 
their  deeds.  That  obstinacy,  for  which  you 
reproach  us,  is  a  preceptor.  For  who  that 
beholds  it,  is  not  impelled  to  inquire  into  the 
cause  ?  And  who,  when  he  has  inquired, 
does  not  embrace  it;  and  when  he  has  em- 
braced it,  does  not  himself  wish  to  suffer 
for  it?"* 

A  striking  peculiarity  of  the  early  Chris- 
tians was  their  Christly  mind.  Of  course 
every  disciple  of  Jesus  has  this  characteris- 
tic to  a  greater  or  less  extent.  But  the 
primitive  Christians  had  it  in  a  marked 
manner.  Many  of  them  had  lived  during 
the  lifetime  of  the  Saviour.  They  had 
seen  him,  heard  him  speak,  and  were  cog- 
nizant of  the  wonderful  works  which  he  per- 
formed. He  had  impressed  them  as  no  one 
ever  could  impress  them.  He  was  to  them 
''God  manifest  in  the  flesh."  His  image  was 
reproduced  in  their  souls.  All  that  was 
dear  to  them  in  time  and  eternity  was  cen- 
tered in  him.     He  alone  was  their  Saviour. 

*  Neander,   "Ohurcli  Hist,"  vol  i.,  p.  77. 


Means  to  Arrest  Decay.  175 

His  mysterious  sorrow,  agony,  death,  were 
remembered  by  them  with  tender  affection. 
The  fact  that  he  rose  from  the  dead,  that 
he  ascended  into  the  heavens,  could  not  be 
forgotten.  He  was  the  joy  of  their  heart; 
the  wonderful  stranger  who  tarried  with 
them  for  a  season;  the  only  kingly  soul 
that  they  had  ever  seen,  and  whose  glory 
lingered  around  them  after  he  went  away. 
Even  those  who  had  not  beheld  him,  yet 
conversed  with  men  who  had.  They  were 
carefully  taught  in  regard  to  his  person 
and  life.  No  doubt  many  a  long  evening 
was  spent  in  listening  to  words  he  had 
spoken,  and  in  hearing  about  the  works  he 
had  done.  Crowds  met  together  on  Sab- 
bath and  week  day  to  catch  the  story  of 
his  life.  No  such  Presence  ever  touched 
the  souls  of  men  before.  Christ  seemed  to 
be  in  every  dwelling  of  the  faithful.  His 
praises  fell  on  the  ear  of  friend  and  foe. 
There  was  no  language  but  that  spoke  his 
name.  He  was  a  new  thought  in  the  great 
world  of  man.  The  night  gave  place  to 
the  day,  and  the  gloomy  empire  of  death 
was  lost  in  the   endless  life. 

The    first   Christians  were   cheerful  in    the 


176  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

service  of  Christ.  Their  sky  was  clear.  It 
was  the  early  morning  of  their  joy.  In 
gladness  the  hours  passed.  In  hope  the 
noonday  of  heaven  drew  near.  The  sad- 
ness of  other  ages  of  the  Church  was  not 
known  among  the  first  disciples  of  our 
Lord.  They  had  a  pleasure  in  piety  which 
we  have  only  seen  occasionally;  a  peace 
which  we  know  only  at  second-hand.  At 
the  very  beginning  "they  received  the  word 
with  gladness '';  and  so  they  went  forward 
in  the  midst  of  happy  emotions.  It  would 
seem  as  if  a  new  cycle  of  supernatural 
power  began  at  that  time,  and  as  if  their 
souls  received  a  great  quickening  from  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord.  "The  disciples,"  we 
are  told,  "were  filled  with  joy,  and  with 
the  Holy  Ghost."  The  whole  range  of 
Christian  action  gave  evidence  of  life  that 
had  come  from  God,  and  of  a  certain  sweet- 
ness and  peace  that  were  the  result  of  it. 
The  most  common  duties  were  hallowed 
by  a  new  power:  nothing  was  so  small  but 
that  joy  could  smile  around  it.  Those  fa- 
vored people  could  "  eat  their  meat  with 
gladness ":  they  could  serve  or  sleep  with 
a  heavenly  serenity  about  their  souls. 


Means  to  Arrest  Decay.  177 

They  were  really  a  singular  race  of  men; 
peculiar  because  of  their  saintliness.  Their 
history  all  the  way  through  would  constitute 
an  exceedingly  interesting  Pilgrim's  Progress. 
''  One  might  see  them  walking  like  so  many 
pieces  of  immortality,  dropping  down  from 
heaven,  and  tending  thitherward;  all  full  of 
God,  and  full  of  Christ,  and  full  of  heaven, 
and  full  of  glory:  and  this  world  was  noth- 
ing to  them;  trampled  upon  as  a  despicable, 
contemptible  thing.''  *  Their  journey  to  the 
celestial  city  would  not  have  the  rural  feat- 
ures about  it  which  Bunyan's  allegory  pre- 
sents. More  of  the  city  and  town  life 
would  appear.  A  greater  variety  of  charac- 
ters would  be  seen  along  the  way.  The  stir 
would  be  more  intense,  the  temptations  more 
numerous,  the  solitude  not  so  deep.  There 
would  be  seas  also  for  the  pilgrims  to  cross, 
and  strange  countries  for  them  to  enter. 
The  commotion  created  by  their  appearance 
and  manner  would  even  be  greater  than  in 
Bunyan's  time.  There  would  not  be  a  soli- 
tary martyr  as  at  Vanity  Fair;  but  in  Jeru- 
salem and  Rome  many  would  die  as  wit- 
nesses for  Christ.     Some  of  the  cities  through 

John  Howe's  "Works,"  vol.  i.,  p.  580. 
12 


1/8  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

which  the  early  pilgrims  passed  were  noted 
for  wisdom  and  wickedness.  The  town  of 
Works  was  a  busy  place.  Ladders  were 
made  there  what  would  reach  to  heaven. 
There  was  a  divine  city  called  Jehovah  Sham- 
mah,  where  the  pilgrims  dwelt  for  many 
days.  It  was  near  the  end  of  the  journey. 
They  spent  their  time  there  with  peaceful- 
ness.  The  country  of  God  was  just  before 
them.  They  crossed  the  river  of  Death  with 
joy.     The  sun  shone  upon  them  all  the  way. 

Without  attempting  to  specify  all  the  spir- 
itual traits  of  the  first  Christians,  we  may 
rest  where  we  are,  and  simply  add  a  few 
observations  that  are  critical  in  their  nature. 

I  suppose  we  have  a  right  to  say  that  the 
primitive  Christianity  was  of  a  high  type.  In 
certain  particulars,  we  may  affirm  that  it  has 
never  been  equalled.  The  golden  age  was 
at  the  beginning.  In  all  succeeding  centuries, 
men  will  look  back  upon  a  form  of  life  that 
they  have  never  seen  elsewhere.  They  will 
sigh  as  they  think  of  the  early  time,  and  will 
wonder  why  the  former  beauty  shines  not  in 
any  soul  just  now.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  them 
to  regale  their  imagination  with  a  sight  that 
is  so    fair;   the  heavenly  image  they  would 


Means  to  Arrest  Decay.  179 

like  to  make  their  own  as  the  years  run  bj. 
The  model  life  which  they  would  hold  up  be- 
fore all  the  generations,  is  that  of  the  first 
Christians,  To  bring  the  Church  back  to  the 
primitive  piety  would  be  very  much  like  re- 
storing the  lost  Paradise.  There  is  one  ex- 
treme of  making  the  early  Christians  better 
than  they  were,  and  another  extreme  of  mak- 
ing them  worse  than  they  were.  The  point 
is  to  find  the  exact  truth. 

In  looking  through  the  New  Testament, 
we  notice  that  the  actual  and  the  ideal  re- 
ligion is  each  described,  and  that  very  fre- 
quently the  one  runs  into  the  other.  Some- 
times in  a  chapter,  referring  mainly  to  the 
common  life  of  the  Christians,  will  be  found 
a  verse  that  pictures  out  the  ideal  rehgion 
with  great  beauty;  and  the  danger  is,  that 
those  very  Christians  will  be  viewed  as  pos- 
sessing that  ideal  religion, — thus  making 
them  to  be  more  holy  than  they  actually 
were.  Especially  are  we  in  danger  when 
thinking  of  the  inspired  men  who  wrote  the 
JN'ew  Testament.  We  may  very  easily  view 
them  as  quite  angelic  in  their  piety,  just  be- 
cause of  the  ideal  religion  which  they  men- 
tion here  and  there.     We  are  always  tempted 


i8o  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

to  clothe  a  writer  or  speaker  with  those  holy 
qualities  which  he  simply  describes  ideally. 
Thoughts  are  found  in  many  sermons  and 
many  hymns  that  are  instinct  with  seraphic 
beauty  and  perfection;  and  an  uncritical 
person  may  be  led  to  say  that  the  writers 
of  them  were  saintly  men  of  a  high  order. 
Yast  numbers,  no  doubt,  have  thus  received 
a  character,  which  never  would  bear  the 
test  of  an  actual  examination.  It  is  not 
that  the  writers  intended  to  deceive.  The 
thought  was  not  in  their  mind  to  do  that. 
They  simply  presented  a  finished  conception; 
and  unskilled  persons  supposed  that  that 
finished  conception  was  a  real  gem  that 
sparkled  in  their  character.  In  descriptive 
writing  especially,  which  relates  to  an  ob- 
ject we  love,  the  imagination  with  its  fine 
ideals  is  very  apt  to  do  a  great  work  at 
painting.  We  must  see  to  it,  then,  that 
we  find  the  actual  truth  in  regard  to  the 
early  Christians;  not  allowing  any  ideal  glory 
to  cover  them  with  its  celestial  radiance. 
Even  the  common  usage  of  language  we 
must  scrutinize  carefully,  lest  a  mere  popu- 
lar statement  should  be  viewed  as  contain- 
ing more  than  it  really  does  contain. 


Means  to  Arrest  Decay.  i8i 

It  may  have  been  a  gain,  and  yet  it  may 
not,  that  the  early  Christians  had  no  past  in 
the  rehgion  they  had  adopted,  to  which  they 
could  look.  It  may  be  a  blessed  thing  tO| 
be  at  the  fountain-head,  and  to  drink  out  of 
the  rill  that  flows  forth  from  the  mountain's 
base;  still  there  are  many  advantages  in  liv- 
ing upon  the  bank  of  a  wide  and  deep  river, 
far  from  its  source;  many  advantages  in  com- 
merce and  wealth  from  the  ships  that  trade 
at  its  ports.  It  is  certainly  a  fact  that  Ave 
learn  a  great  deal  from  the  past.  Its  rich 
heritage  comes  down  to  us,  and  our  present 
is  enlarged  because  of  it.  It  is  an  infinite 
gain  to  us  that  we  can  look  back  upon  the 
achievements  of  Christianity  during  a  period 
of  eighteen  centuries.  Providence  in  the  in- 
terest of  the  Christian  religion  is  quite  lumin- 
ous, the  administration  of  the  Spirit  is  full 
of  life  and  power,  and  the  revelation  of  God 
to  man  is  complete  in  the  Bible.  It  would 
seem  as  if  we  had  the  means  for  a  more  ex- 
tended type  of  piety  than  the  early  Chris- 
tians had.  There  was  about  them  a  certain 
want  of  experience  in  many  important  things. 
There  was  a  degree  of  immaturity  that  arose 
from   their   childhood   stat«.     Thev  were   in 


i82  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

danger  of  being  captivated  by  fair  appear- 
ances. They  were  not  sufficiently  search- 
ing. Their  faith  might  lead  to  credulity. 
There  was  weakness  in  connection  with  their 
strength.  Germs  of  evil  were  ready  to  spring 
up  by  the  side  of  their  goodness. 

Although  they  were  a  spiritually  minded 
people,  yet  it  is  a  question  whether  they 
were  absolutely  settled  upon  an  extended 
basis  of  theologic  truth.  Was  not  the  mould 
in  which  they  were  cast  too  hmited,  even 
though  it  was  well  finished  as  far  as  it  went? 
Would  not  a  greater  range  of  thought  have 
been  to  their  advantage  ?  Did  they  have  a 
sufficient  amount  of  individualism?  Did  all 
their  faculties  act  with  sufficient  force,  and 
was  there  a  proper  balance  among  them? 
We  are  to  take  into  the  account  also  that 
they  lived  during  a  great  revival  period.  Hun- 
dreds and  thousands  were  converted  at  once. 
It  was  the  flood-tide  of  God's  mercy  to  man. 
Possibly  the  waters  of  life  never  rose  so  high 
as  at  that  time.  The  barks  of  Christ  has- 
tened forward  with  full  sail  and  a  fair  wind. 
There  was  much  that  was  visible.  The  good 
people  could  see  and  hear.  The  sense  ele- 
ment  was    a   notable    feature.     There    were 


Means  to  Arrest  Decay.  183 

the  gift  of  tongues  and  the  various  miracles. 
There  was  not  merely  a  walking  by  faith, 
but  a  walking  by  sight.  Taking  these  things 
into  consideration,  we  are  led  to  form  a  prop- 
er judgment  touching  the  piety  of  the  early 
Christians;  making  it  not  too  bright,  but  still 
viewing  it  as  of  a  very  high  order.  We  may 
well  be  stimulated  by  it,  seeing  by  the  con- 
trast our  earthliness  and  want  of  holy  power. 
Yea,  the  Christian  in  a  state  of  decline  may 
even  feel  alarmed,  when  he  beholds  the  force 
and  the  fervor  of  those  first  children  of  the 
Church. 

II.  Direct  Method  of  arresting  Decay 
IN  Religion. 

Thou  great  Being !  make  us  like  thyself. 
Thou  only  art  real.  All  about  us  is  illusion. 
We  find  no  rest.  We  wander  from  object 
to  object,  but  nothing  pleases.  Our  very 
dreams  tell  of  the  wailing  of  our  soul.  We 
sink  into  the  bosom  of  sleep  with  a  sigh, 
and  awake  in  the  morning  with  the  same 
burden  pressing  us  down.  Never  are  we 
quite  well.  Our  sunniest  hours  have  back 
of  them  a  cloud.  A  thorn  seems  to  be  in 
the  centre  of  our  heart,  and  death  struggles 


i84  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

along  the  pathway  of  our  hfe.  Thou  High 
and  Lofty  One !  how  much  we  need  thee. 
Intervene  in  our  behalf.  Let  thy  smile  ban- 
ish our  darkness,  and  thy  breathing  scatter 
our  sin.  Only  when  we  are  one  with  thee 
shall  we  be  happy.  Thou  art  the  fountain 
of  goodness.  Blessedness  dwells  with  thee. 
How  wondrous  thy  years  !  No  shadow  of 
evil  about  thee  !  Only  light  and  love  !  May 
some  power  touch  us  that  will  make  us  true 
and  pure.  We  turn  to  thee.  In  exile  we 
have  wandered  far  and  long.  Only  with 
thee  can  we  feel  well.  Thou  will  not  spurn 
us  away.  Why  should  we  hold  back?  We 
take  thee  as  our  portion.  In  the  midst  of 
thy  day  shall  we  abide.  Thy  radiance  shall 
gild  our  path,  and  the  hours  shall  be  full 
of  joy  because  thou  art  near.  Glorious 
One!  the  whole  universe  looks  to  thee. 
When  thou  hidest  thyself  there  is  trouble. 
Nothing  can  rest  save  as  it  rests  in  thee. 
If  we  seek  for  truth,  thou  art  the  True;  for 
goodness,  thou  art  the  Good;  for  perfection, 
thou  art  the  Perfect.  Most  ineffable  Being ! 
we  can  not  describe  thee.  Only  a  few  of 
thy  words  have  reached  us;  a  few  of  thy 
rays   have    streamed    across    our    path;    thy 


Means  to  Arrest  Decay.  185 

footsteps  are  echoing  through  the  great  si- 
lence, and  thy  beauty  is  painted  on  the 
flowers  and  skies  of  Ufe.  Thou  art  the 
ocean  that  has  no  storms,  the  land  that  is 
always  fair,  the  river  that  flows  in  peace- 
fulness  through  the  smiling  fields  of  love. 

It  is  well  to  think  of  the  hright  past.  This 
vision  of  other  days  may  give  the  soul  a  new 
impulse.  One  can  see  how  he  has  fallen. 
The  sin  appears  the  darker  when  contrasted 
with  the  holiness.  As  scene  after  scene  is 
called  up,  when  the  soul  was  happy  in  God's 
service,  there  is  a  desire  to  begin  a  new  life. 
Simply  to  mention  over  to  a  friend  the  sea- 
son of  our  conversion;  the  number  of  per- 
sons who  gave  themselves  to  Christ  at  that 
time;  the  activity  of  Christian  people;  the 
solemn  and  searching  preaching;  the  meet- 
ings so  quiet  and  so  crowded, — just  to  note 
these  things  warms  the  heart.  "There  is 
no  more  effectual  means,"  says  John  Owen, 
"to  stir  up  backsliders  unto  endeavors  for 
deliverance  than  a  continual  remembrance 
of  former  things,  and  experiences  they  have 
had  of  holy  intercourse  and  communion  with 
God.  This  will  revive,  quicken,  and  strength- 
en  the   things    that   are    ready    to    die,    and 


i86  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

beget  a  self-abhorrency  in  them  in  consid- 
eration of  that  woeful  frame  and  temper  of 
mind  which,  by  their  sins  and  neghgence, 
they  have  brought  themselves  into."  '*  I 
have  known  one  in  the  depths  of  distress 
and  darkness  of  mind,  who,  going  through 
temptation  to  destroy  himself,  was  relieved 
and  delivered  in  the  instant  of  ruin  by  a 
sudden  remembrance  that  at  such  a  time, 
and  in  such  a  place,  he  had  prayed  fervent- 
ly with  the  engagement  of  all  his  affections 
unto  God."* 

A  vivid  conception  of  truth  is  also  an  im- 
portant means  of  leading  the  soul  into  a 
higher  life.  The  intellect  and  heart  are 
closely  connected  together.  If  I  would  bring 
myself  into  a  proper  moral  state,  as  far  as  I 
am  able,  there  are  three  things  that  are  nec- 
essary. 1.  I  must  have  a  suitable  object 
before  the  mind.  2.  I  must  have  a  vivid 
conception  of  that  object.  3.  I  must  act 
out  the  feeling  that  is  generated  by  this 
vivid  conception.  The  central  and  moving 
power  is  to  feeh  I  must  set  the  imagina- 
tion to  work,  and  make  the  whole  matter  as 
real  as  possible ;  then  emotion  will  be  started. 

♦  "Works,"  vol.  vii.,  pp.  465,  466. 


Means  to  Arrest  Decay.  187 

Let  a  mother  behold  her  children  in  a  house 
on  fire;  and  she  will  be  carried  away  with  a 
tempest  of  feeling,  and  will  do  her  utmost  to 
save  them.  If  she  were  sound  asleep,  she 
would  neither  feel  nor  act.  Let  any  one 
witness  the  collision  of  two  trains  of  cars; 
see  the  wounded,  dying,  and  dead;  hear 
the  cries  of  suffering  people  as  they  beg  for 
help, — there  will  be  no  want  of  feeling. 
"Agitate  the  soul  in  any  way,  excite  its 
fears,  hopes,  or  any  of  the  passions,  and 
then  instantly,  and  just  in  proportion  to  the 
excitement,  will  the  mind  lose  its  conscious- 
ness of  all  but  the  single  exciting  object. 
Show  a  man  the  muzzle  of  a  loaded  cannon, 
peeping  from  a  thicket  in  the  distance,  and 
whence  he  may  every  moment  expect  his 
death;  show  him,  on  the  broad  bosom  of 
a  tumbling  sea,  an  open  boat,  in  which  his 
wife  and  children  are  tossing,  between  hope 
and  despair,  and  what  else  will  he  see  !  " 

Christian  men  are  palsied  with  indiffer- 
ence because  they  do  not  face  the  truth  in 
all  its  roundness.  They  do  not  compel  them- 
selves to  think  about  it.  N'o  full  impression 
is  made  upon  their  soul.  They  think  in  frag- 
ments,   and   feel   in   fragments.     If  for   one 


iSS  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

hour  they  would  look  into  the  great  reali- 
ties of  human  life  and  the  destinies  beyond, 
they  could  not  help  but  feel  intensely.  A 
single  great  utterance  that  strikes  the  soul 
like  a  voice  from  heaven,  produces  a  won- 
derful effect.  The  more  real  I  can  make 
any  truth,  the  more  power  it  has.  That 
which  ennobles  a  man  is  the  noble  thoughts 
which  he  has.  There  is  a  mastering  power 
in  great  ideas.  They  grasp  the  soul,  hold 
it  steady,  send  life  through  it.  A  great  in- 
tellectual awakening  is  the  usual  precursor 
of  a  spiritual  awakening.  The  flame  of  prim- 
itive Christianity  was  kindled  by  the  impe- 
rial thoughts  of  God  and  Christ.  The  herald 
of  the  Reformation  was  truth.  Methodism 
was  ushered  into  existence  by  the  power  of 
divine  ideas.  The  great  missionary  move- 
ment commenced  when  light  touched  the 
souls  of  the  good.  Even  upon  the  low 
plane  of  humanitarianism,  men  are  aroused 
by  a  vivid  conception  of  the  truth  which 
belongs  to  that  sphere.  When  the  people 
are  stimulated  in  regard  to  national  integ- 
rity, it  is  evident  that  they  have  been  think- 
ing about  that  matter.  Perhaps  in  no  or- 
ganization of  man  has   close   and  continued 


Means  to  Arrest  Decay.  189 

thought  done  so  much  as  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Jesuits.  Their  "spiritual  exer- 
cises," hour  after  hour,  day  after  day,  for 
weeks,  turn  out  a  race  of  sharp,  devoted, 
and  most  determined  men.  If  intense  think- 
ing has  done  so  much  to  mould  and  mar- 
shal into  line  the  followers  of  Loyola,  how 
much  more  should  intense  thinking  mould 
and  marshal  into  line  the  followers  of  Christ. 
Let  truth  be  comprehensive,  let  it  be  well 
balanced,  let  it  flash  upon  the  soul  with  its 
own  eternal  light,  then  it  will  surely  affect 
the  heart,  mind,  and  conscience,  in  a  healthy 
manner.  If  the  law  of  God  in  its  length 
and  breadth  were  more  correctly  studied 
by  the  disciples  of  Jesus,  they  would  be  a 
finer  and  more  finished  race  of  men  than 
they  have  thus  far  been.  The  delusions  of 
the  moral  faculty,  the  errors  of  the  intellect, 
and  many  sins  of  the  heart,  are  the  result 
of  imperfect  views  of  divine  truth. 

In  ancient  times  there  was  a  race  in  the 
evening,  at  which  the  runners  carried  torches 
or  lamps;  and  these  were  lighted  at  the  sac- 
rificial altar.  N'ot  only  had  the  men  to  run, 
but  they  had  to  use  great  care  and  skill  lest 
the    liorht    should    be    extin^^uished.     If    the 


190  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

lamps  went  out,  the  prize  was  lost.  So  the 
Christian  must  run,  and  he  must  exercise  a 
sound  judgment  at  the  same  time.  He  must 
be  in  haste,  but  not  self-confident;  must  run, 
but  not  in  pride.  Generally  speaking,  how- 
ever, the  faster  the  Christian  runs,  the  bright- 
er his  lamp  burns.  Only  the  indolent  are 
left  in  darkness;  only  the  indolent  lose  the 
prize. 

If  decay  in  religion  is  to  be  arrested,  we 
must  act  very  much  as  we  did  act  when 
we  began  the  Christian  life.  We  must  pass 
through  the  same  stages  of  experience.  The 
way  the  sinner  takes  before  he  can  find  peace 
and  purity,  is  the  way  that  we  must  take  be- 
fore we  can  find  them.  The  initial  point  is 
to  be  aroused,  startled  out  of  our  sleep.  The 
sense  of  danger  may  sound  the  alarm.  The 
possibility  of  losing  the  soul  may  strike  it 
with  terror.  A  new  unhappiness  may  agitate 
our  whole  being.  There  is  a  sense  of  sin. 
Indeed,  it  would  seem  as  if  our  feeling  in 
regard  to  sin  must  be  more  deep  and  pun- 
gent than  when  we  first  repented.  We  have 
had  a  new  experience  of  its  evil ;  have  seen 
how  it  has  battled  with  goodness  in  the  heart; 
have  looked  at  it  through  the  medium  of  a 


Means  to  Arrest  Decay.  191 

brighter  light  than  we  formerly  had, — thus 
understanding  it  better,  we  have  a  deeper 
conviction.  Possibly  one  reason  why  we 
have  such  feebleness  in  our  Christianity,  is 
because  we  have  such  feebleness  in  our  views 
of  sin.  A  profound  consciousness  of  moral 
evil  will  lead  us  to  prize  highly  the  divine 
method  of  redemption.  The  Christian  who 
takes  a  lame  view  of  sin  will  be  a  cripple  all 
his  days.  It  is  all- important  that  when  we 
return  to  Grod  we  should  have  a  deep  feel- 
mg  of  guilt.  This  will  lead  us  to  abhor  sin, 
and  to  turn  from  it.  The  penitent  Christian 
also  feels  the  need  of  redemption  more  than 
ever,  and  so  he  renewedly  gives  himself  away 
to  Christ.  Thus  the  chief  features  of  the 
early  experience  are  reproduced.  The  child 
of  God  is  awakened,  he  is  convicted,  he  re- 
pents, he  believes.  In  fact  all  these  charac- 
teristics appear  during  every  great  crisis 
and  onward  movement  of  the  Christian  life. 
Even  at  the  moment  of  death,  when  reason 
is  clear,  there  will  be  a  new  awakening,  a 
new  conviction,  a  new  repentance,  and  a 
new  faith. 

In  order  to  keep   my  Christianity  at  the 
-point  which  it  has  now  reached,  I .  must  cul- 


192  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

tivate  the  power  to  receive.  My  entire  soul 
must  be  thrown  open  to  that  which  is  pure. 
A  receptive  mind  hes  at  the  foundation  of 
a  holy  character.  Christ  pronounced  those 
blessed  who  were  poor  in  spirit.  Influences 
of  goodness  come  up  to  my  soul;  I  must 
give  them  free  and  happy  admission.  Many 
a  saintly  word  falls  upon  my  ear:  I  must 
listen  to  it.  Here  are  biographical  sketches 
of  most  excellent  men:  I  must  allow  the  in- 
fluence of  their  life  to  reach  my  heart.  Fine 
characters  I  see  every  day:  I  must  be  made 
better  by  them.  There  is  Christ!  What  a 
world  of  goodness  streams  forth  from  him ! 
I  must  surely  become  more  holy  on  account 
of  it.  There  is  God !  What  a  power  he  is ! 
It  would  seem  as  if  he  must  transform  the 
soul.  There  is  the  Spirit !  How  I  must  re- 
ceive that  saving  influence  which  he  brings 
to  me,  or  be  lost  forever. 

I  am  to  cultivate  also  the  power  to  form. 
This  power  to  form  is  very  extended.  The 
works  of  Grod  in  all  their  infinite  variety  are 
manifestations  of  his  forming  power.  Even 
man,  fallen  though  he  be,  is  a  great  former. 
In  architecture,  painting,  sculpture,  useful 
inventions,    literary   productions,    the    bright 


Means  to  Arrest  Decay.  193 

ideals  of  the  mind,  we  behold  the  forming 
power.  Chiefly,  however,  in  the  sphere  of 
piety,  I  am  to  form.  If  I  can  form  a 
thought  that  will  strengthen  the  soul  in 
goodness,  I  have  done  that  which  is  praise- 
worthy. If  I  can  form  a  single  grace  like 
humility  or  patience,  tenderness  or  temper- 
ance, I  have  done  that  which  will  teU  upon 
the  eternal  well-being  of  the  soul.  Power 
to  form  a  character  is  far  greater  than  power 
to  build  the  pyramids.  And  if  I  can  form 
other  souls  besides  my  own,  prepare  them 
for  an  eternity  at  Grod's  right  hand,  that  is 
heavenly  work.  If  I  can  form  a  hymn,  a 
tract,  a  book,  that  will  live  for  ages,  bless- 
ing human  spirits  all  that  time,  I  have  done 
that  which  angels  might  covet  to  do.  Even 
if  I  can  not  go  as  far  as  this,  but  yet  can 
form  a  prayer  that  will  enter  into  the  ear 
of  God,  can  form  a  sentence  that  wiU  honor 
the  Saviour,  can  form  a  purpose  that  will 
steady  the  soul  in  the  midst  of  the  turmoil 
of  evil — just  that  will  be  a  power  in  good- 
ness. Sin  must  be  hindered  in  some  way  or 
another  by  the  formative  ability  of  the  Chris- 
tian mind.  If  I  cease  to  form  I  cease  to 
live. 

13 


194  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

By  such  means  decay  in  piety  is  arrested. 
There  is  health  and  activity.  The  reformed 
Christian  is  ready  for  every  good  work.  The 
hfe  which  he  hves  shows  that  he  is  changed. 
He  feels  humbled  in  view  of  the  past.  He 
carries  about  with  him  a  deep  sense  of  un- 
worthiness.  He  is  watchful  and  circumspect. 
He  has  had  a  sufficient  experience  of  his  own 
weakness;  he  therefore  depends  more  com- 
pletely on  the  Infinite  Strength.  If  some 
leading  sin  carried  him  away  while  in  a 
state  of  declension,  the  reaction  is  so  great 
that  it  will  never  be  committed  again.  He 
is  an  entirely  new  man  since  that  terrible 
fall.  One  almost  thinks  that  God  permitted 
him  to  make  a  plunge,  that  he  might  rise 
the  higher  afterwards.  Peter  was  a  nobler 
man  after  his  denial  of  Christ  than  he  was 
before. 

In  whatever  relation  the  revived  disci- 
ple now  stands,  principle  is  set  to  work 
in  that  relation.  He  can  not  be  bought, 
can  not  be  sold,  neither  does  he  attempt  to 
buy  and  sell  other  men.  He  is  a  man  among 
men;  quite  above  the  common  run;  near 
to  the  great  verities  of  life;  on  his  way  to 
the   city  of  the   angels;  happy  only  in  prin- 


Means  to  Arrest  Decay.  195 

ciple,  and  sad  when  he  fails.  He  gives  en- 
couragement to  no  practice  that  is  contrary 
to  the  gospel  of  Christ.  He  sees  that  what 
all  men  want,  more  than  any  thing  else,  is 
principle.  Let  this  be  found  in  business,  in 
courts  of  law  and  conventions,  in  schools 
and  legislatures,  in  every  heart  of  child  and 
man,  then  there  will  be  prosperity.  It  is 
not  money,  but  principle;  not  honor,  but 
principle;  not  pleasure,  but  principle.  When 
principle  fills  each  office,  each  calling  in  life, 
is  the  inmate  of  every  house  and  every  heart, 
then  joy  will  smile  like  the  skies  of  heaven, 
and  peace  will  reign  over  the  untroubled 
years  of  time.  Seest  thou  a  man  with  prin- 
ciple ? — he  shall  stand  before  the  great  with 
humility,  and  before  the  humble  with  great- 
ness. His  steps  shall  not  falter  in  all  his 
journey;  strong  shall  he  be  with  strength 
that  never  dies;  and  with  hope  beckoning 
him  onward,  he  shall  be  happy  in  all  the 
sweep  of  his  years.  His  eye  shall  not  be 
dim  through  all  the  length  of  his  way,  nei- 
ther shall  his  mind  be  left  in  darkness;  for 
the  golden  sun  shall  pour  his  radiance  into 
it,  and  there  shall  be  hght  and  gladness 
through    the    ceaseless    beat    of   the    hours. 


196  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

The  working  week  shall  be  like  the  Sab- 
bath, and  the  Sabbath  like  the  rest  of  the 
angels.  The  labor  shall  flow  on  with  love 
as  if  it  were  one  of  the  hymns  of  Grod,  and 
the  very  beating  of  the  heart  shall  be  a 
prayer  that  brings  down  blessings  upon 
souls. 

We  can  never  be  poor  if  we  have  princi- 
ple; never  ignorant  if  we  have  it:  it  forms 
the  chief  wealth  and  the  chief  wisdom.  We 
never  can  be  in  solitude  if  we  have  it,  for 
it  is  one  of  the  best  friends  of  God;  neither 
can  we  be  unhappy,  for  it  is  blessedness 
itself.  Try  as  we  may,  we  shall  never  be 
well  without  principle.  Nothing  can  ever 
take  its  place.  If  we  seem  to  succeed  by 
something  else,  it  is  only  a  gilded  deception. 
We  may  be  cheated  for  a  moment,  but  the 
end  is  death.  Principle  never  fails.  It  is 
the  only  thing  that  makes  heaven.  Grod 
would  not  be  God  if  he  did  not  have  it. 
Our  real  value  is  shown  by  our  principle; 
and  we  are  worth  neither  more  nor  less 
than  that. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

LA  WS  OF  PROGRESS  IN  THE  RELIGION  OF  CHRIST. 

'T^HE  first  law  of  progress  points  to  the 
fact  that  rehgion  is  carried  forward 
through  the  medium  of  groups.  The  rehg- 
ious  germ  is  complex.  If  I  say  that  piety 
consists  in  love  to  God,  that  does  not  imply 
that  it  is  confined  to  one  feeling.  The  love 
includes  within  itself  a  number  of  spiritual 
forces  and  tendencies.  If  I  say  that  the 
essence  of  piety  is  pure  obedience,  that  is 
equally  comprehensive.  If  I  call  it  a  divine 
life  in  the  soul,  there  is  still  more  than  unity. 
The  truth  is,  the  moment  we  have  religion, 
that  moment  we  have  a  group  of  powers  at 
work.  Different  kinds  of  knowledge,  differ- 
ent kinds  of  emotion,  different  kinds  of  ac- 
tion, find  a  place  in  that  nature  we  call  re- 
generate. As  religion  advances,  therefore, 
it  advances  through  the  medium  of  groups. 
Each  peculiar  force  works  out  in  its  own 
way,  diffuses  its  vitality,  gains  victories,  or, 
for  the  moment,   simply  holds   its  own.     In 


198  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

fact  every  leading  movement  of  the  mind 
is  complex.  We  talk  about  single  thoughts 
and  feelings;  but  the  singleness  is  chiefly  in 
name.  We  call  the  soul  a  unit;  and  in  one 
sense  it  is  a  unit;  but  in  another  sense  it  is 
the  source  of  possibilities  that  are  well  nigh 
infinite.  Although  man  is  a  distinct  indi- 
vidual, yet  not  in  singleness  does  he  work 
out  his  destiny.  Progress  in  good  or  evil, 
in  knowledge  or  ignorance,  is  by  a  system 
of  grouping.  Two  or  three  errors  will  ruin 
a  man  just  as  effectually  as  a  hundred.  Let 
a  person  take  a  false  view  of  himself,  of 
God,  and  of  Christ,  and  he  is  gone.  Upon 
a  vast  number  of  other  subjects  he  may  be 
sound  or  unsound:  this  will  make  no  essen- 
tial difference  as  far  as  the  chief  facts  are 
concerned.  The  few  errors  decide  the  case; 
decide  it  forever.  A  man  may  reach  a  crisis 
in  his  history.  During  this  crisis  he  may 
examine  carefully  his  form  of  belief  As 
the  result  of  this  examination  he  rejects  a 
vast  number  of  untruths.  Still,  if  he  retains 
a  few  that  are  leading  in  their  character, 
there  is  no  hope  for  him.  Judas  was  lost 
by  a  few  bad  tendencies:  the  penitent  thief 
was  saved  by  a  few  that  were  good. 


Laws  of  Progress.  199 

If  I  look  now  at  religion  viewed  as  a 
divine  kingdom,  I  can  see  that  it  moves  for- 
ward through  the  medium  of  groups  of  men. 
A  few  guiding  spirits  march  first,  and  the 
multitude  fall  into  line  and  follow  after  them 
with  greater  or  less  willingness.  In  each 
local  church  a  small  company  of  persons  are 
the  source  of  power.  They  plan,  organize, 
toil,  and  pray.  Let  them  die  or  depart  into 
another  region,  and  the  church  sinks.  If 
it  were  a  law  that  every  religious  person 
must  act  before  the  kingdom  of  God  could 
move  forward,  it  never  would  move  for- 
ward. Thus  far  at  least,  groups  of  select 
souls  have  done  the  work.  "The  new  life 
of  a  period  of  restoration,"  says  Isaac  Tay- 
lor, "takes  its  rise  in  the  spirits  and  hearts 
of  a  few — a  two,  or  three.  Grreater  than 
any  '  tendency  of  events '  is  the  mind  of 
this  and  of  that  man — born,  and  taught, 
and  moved  onward  from  above."*  It  is  the 
two  or  three  gathered  together  that  can  claim 
the  blessing.  In  the  theological  sphere  and 
tlie  missionary  sphere  the  chiefs  have  opened 
up  the  great  lines  of  thought  and  action;  and 
the   millions,    startled    by   their   energy    and 

*  "Logic  in  Theology,"  p.  285. 


200  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

influence,  move  apace.  In  fact  the  develop- 
ment of  the  race  in  all  its  branches  has  been 
through  the  medium  of  groups  of  men.  In 
arts  and  arms,  literature  and  government, 
science  and  trade,  a  few  choice  minds  are 
the  powers.  Even  in  the  matter  of  public 
sin  or  wholesale  wickedness,  the  magnates 
walk  first.  There  are  hosts  of  inferior  spir- 
its who  are  contented  with  a  secondary  place 
in  schemes  of  daring  iniquity.  It  is  fair  to 
suppose  that  as  the  Church  advances,  the 
groups  of  men  who  lead  it  forward  shall  be 
larger,  purer,  and  more  powerful.  The  time 
will  no  doubt  come  when  the  entire  kingdom 
of  Christ  shall  be  a  compact  body  of  faith- 
ful souls. 

The  second  law  of  progress  shows  that 
religion  is  developed  according  to  a  threefold 
principle.  There  is  first  the  divine  life, 
then  the  growth  of  that  life,  and  still  again 
the  perfection  of  that  life.  We  have  thus 
a  distinct  beginning,  progress  from  that  be- 
ginning, and  completion  as  the  result  of 
thart  progress.  There  can  be  no  such  thing 
as  the  evolution  of  life  without  a  germ. 
Life  must  come  from  life.  I  can  not  evolve 
something  out  of  nothing.     I  can  only  draw 


Laws  of  Progress.  201 

forth  that  which  exists:  never  more  than 
that.  Having  found  the  germ,  development 
is  possible,  development  is  a  fact.  As  we 
look  at  the  vegetable  kingdom,  the  march 
of  life  is  seen  to  be  according  to  the  num- 
ber three.  There  is  the  seed,  the  growth 
from  that,  then  the  season  of  maturity. 
What  is  worthy  of  attention,  the  third  stage 
is  always  double.  As  if  one  face  were  looking 
over  the  past  which  has  gone,  and  another 
face  were  looking  into  the  future  which  has 
not  yet  come.  When  the  fruit  is  ripe,  it 
does  not  remain  on  the  tree  forever.  Be- 
ing fully  ripe,  it  falls  to  the  ground.  There 
it  takes  root  in  the  earth  and  forms  a  new 
beginning;  the  life  always  governing  itself 
according  to  the  triad  movement,  and  the 
last  member  of  the  triad  always  containing  a 
duality.  It  is  somewhat  significant  that  the 
work  of  the  third  day  of  the  creation  was 
double.  There  was  the  gathering  together 
of  the  waters,  and  the  appearance  of  vege- 
tation: this  double  fact  making  known  to  us 
the  end  of  the  inorganic  period,  and  the 
beginning  of  the  organic.  The  work  of 
the  sixth  day,  this*  being  the  closing  up 
of    a    second    triad,     is    also    double.     The 


202  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

higher  animals  are  created;  and  man  makes 
his  appearance  upon  the  stage;  man  ac- 
countable, immortal,  made  in  the  image  of 
Grod.  Lepsius  tells  us  that  the  Egyptian 
year  had  three  seasons.  The  first  was  sym- 
bolized by  a  reservoir,  the  second  by  a 
garden,  and  the  third  by  a  house.  The  hu- 
man race  has  its  three  cycles, — childhood, 
youth,  and  manhood.  We  notice  also  three 
leading  dispensations, — the  Patriarchal,  Jew- 
ish, and  Christian.  In  these  we  see  the 
family,  the  nation,  the  world.  The  individ- 
ual has  a  threefold  system  of  training.  *'In 
childhood  we  are  subject  to  positive  rules 
which  we  can  not  understand,  but  are  bound 
implicitly  to  obey.  In  youth  we  are  sub- 
ject to  the  influence  of  example,  and  soon 
break  loose  from  all  rules  unless  illustrated 
and  enforced  by  the  higher  teaching  which 
example  imparts.  In  manhood  we  are  com- 
paratively free  from  external  restraints,  and 
if  we  are  to  learn,  must  be  our  own  in- 
structors. First  come  rules,  then  examples, 
then  principles.  First  comes  the  law,  then 
the  Son  of  man,  then  the  gift  of  the  Spirit. 
The  world  was  once  a  child  under  tutors 
and   governors  until  the  time   appointed  by 


Laws  of  Progress.  203 

the  Father.  Then,  when  the  fit  season  had 
arrived,  the  Example  to  which  all  ages 
should  turn  was  sent  to  teach  men  what 
they  ought  to  be.  Then  the  human  race 
was  left  to  itself  to  be  guided  by  the  teach- 
ing of  the  Spirit  within."  * 

The  third  law  of  progress  shows  that  re- 
ligion advances  by  epochs.  The  thought  here 
is  different  from  that  of  the  previous  one. 
The  development  is  not  confined  to  the 
number  three.  The  epochs  are  of  no  cer- 
tain number.  They  may  be  few  or  many; 
the  person  and  his  surroundings,  as  well  as 
the  law  which  directs  the  bestowment  of 
grace,  making  a  difference.  Religious  char- 
acters in  one  age  and  nation  may  pass 
through  various  stages  of  spiritual  life,  while 
those  in  another  age  and  nation  may  have 
a  development  that  is  peculiar  to  themselves. 
There  are  Christian  souls  whose  life  is  re- 
markably even.  It  seems  like  a  continuous 
chapter,  with  no  breaks  of  any  kind.  Still, 
when  carefully  examined,  there  are  varied 
sections.  In  other  persons  the  stages  of  de- 
velopment are  clearly  marked.  They  pass 
through   many  seasons   of  revival   during  a 

•  "Essays  and  Reviews,"  p.  6. 


204  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

lifetime.  These  are  remembered  as  periods 
of  strong  faith,  bright  hope,  warm-hearted 
love,  free  and  pleasant  activity,  healthful 
joy  and  peace.  There  are  some  epochs  of 
holy  life  which  are  caused  by  afflictions,  by 
new  and  striking  truths,  a  higher  form  of 
thoughtfulness,  a  sudden  inflow  of  grace  from 
the  heart  of  God.  There  may  be  epochs  also 
that  signalize  the  appearance  of  the  mission- 
ary spirit  within  us,  a  more  divine  concep- 
tion of  the  Sabbath,  a  profounder  sense  of 
eternal  things  than  we  ever  had  before,  a 
truer  view  of  life  and  man  than  we  ever 
have  been  accustomed  to  exercise.  Change 
of  place,  entering  upon  some  new  relation, 
may  each  introduce  a  new  section  of  de- 
velopment. 

As  we  look  at  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  we 
can  see  that  different  epochs  have  marked 
its  progress.  The  Pentecostal  outpouring  of 
the  Spirit  was  a  new  stage;  the  great  per- 
secutions occasioned  another;  the  Reforma- 
tion under  Luther  was  a  notable  epoch;  the 
religious  awakenings  of  the  past  century  and 
the  present  have  formed  a  striking  chapter; 
the  missionary  and  temperance  movements 
show  specific   sections   of  life.     The   history 


Laws  of  Progress.  205 

of  Christian  doctrine  is  marked  in  the  same 
way  by  epochs.  We  see  how  the  doctrine 
of  God  comes  forth,  the  person  of  Christ, 
human  nature  and  divine  grace,  the  atone- 
ment, justification  by  faith,  the  inspiration 
of  Scripture.  The  present  may  even  be 
called  the  Christological  age.  Sharp  con- 
flict rages  around  the  character  and  person 
of  our  Lord.  In  the  next  century  a  system 
of  pneumatology  may  be  wrought  out, — the 
Divine  Spirit  being  the  centre  of  interest. 
Possibly  in  the  coming  ages  there  may  be 
a  more  complete  development  touching  the 
millenium  and  the  second  coming  of  Christ 
than  we  have  yet  seen.  It  may  be  a  ques- 
tion also  whether  a  full  and  final  statement 
of  the  atonement  and  original  sin  has  yet 
been  reached.  The  future  may  throw  some 
light  upon  these  doctrines. 

Epochs  of  development  are  characteristic 
of  nations.  The  various  languages  and  laws 
show  stages.  There  are  periods  of  art  and 
education,  of  simplicity  and  morality,  of 
peace  and  freedom.  There  are  epochs  which 
tell  of  solid  thinking,  of  strict  rule  and  cer- 
tain punishment,  of  poetry  and  fine  taste, 
of  great  daring  and  enthusiasm.     There  are 


2o6  Christ  AND  his  Religion. 

scientific  and  critical  ages;  ages  of  discovery 
and  invention;  practical  and  speculative  ages. 
Taking  the  human  race  as  a  unit,  its  prog- 
ress is  marked  by  stages.  We  may  view 
the  human  race  as  one  man.  This  world- 
man  is  about  six  or  seven  thousand  years 
old.  His  life  is  very  different  to-day  from 
what  it  was  before  the  flood.  When  that 
judgment  of  Grod  struck  him,  he  nearly  per- 
ished in  his  sins.  He  is  very  much  larger 
and  wiser  at  present  than  when  he  came 
forth  from  the  ark.  He  has  also  more  of 
good  and  evil  about  him  than  he  had  then. 
Even  in  the  space  of  two  or  three  thousand 
years,  he  has  advanced  exceedingly.  Yea, 
within  the  period  of  a  few  hundred  years, 
he  has  astonished  himself  by  the  rapidity 
of  his  development.  When  we  look  in  this 
way  at  the  one  universal  man,  having  an 
organic  life,  as  never  having  died,  we  see 
quite  clearly  the  progress  he  has  made; 
while  at  the  same  time  we  see  his  many 
falls,  see  that  he  has  never  been  really  well, 
notice  his  great  restlessness,  the  mighty  wars 
with  himself,  his  attempts  to  gain  health  and 
happiness,  but  never  quite  succeeding.  The 
earth  itself  on  which  he  has  hved  seems  al- 


Laws  of  Progress.  207 

most  to  be  the  counterpart  of  himself;  try- 
mg  in  its  own  strange  way  to  mimic  him  in 
its  movements.  The  ocean  quiet  to-day,  and 
excited  to-morrow,  just  as  he  is  himself. 
Then  the  moaning  of  the  winds  in  the  dark- 
ness, making  an  effort  to  utter  his  complaint. 
The  bursting  forth  of  volcanoes,  making  us 
to  think  of  his  anger.  The  beautiful  night 
in  the  spring-time  when  he  seems  to  be 
asleep.  The  gardens  covered  with  flowers 
as  if  they  were  children  of  the  angels  who 
had  come  to  smile  along  his  path.  His 
strange  dreams  as  he  thinks  of  rest  and  of 
home;  of  the  life  that  is  never  to  end,  and 
of  that  Infinite  One  who  alone  can  give 
peace. 

The  fourth  law  of  progress  points  to  the 
fact  that  religious  development  is  antithetic. 
Christian  progress  is  not  in  a  straight  line. 
It  is  not  sufficiently  natural  and  normal  to 
reach  that  ideal.  The  fact  of  sin  in  human 
nature,  even  after  one  is  changed,  hinders 
the  development  and  makes  it  one-sided. 
The  good  man  never  presses  forward  but 
that  he  is  held  back  to  a  certain  extent. 
He  may  be  fired  with  a  glowing  enthusi- 
asm,  and  be  most  resolute  in  his   determi- 


2o8  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

nation,  yet  a  degree  of  weakness  and  way- 
wardness checks  him  in  his  course.  There 
is  a  divine  force  in  his  soul,  but  wind  and 
tide  are  against  him ;  and  so  his  progress 
is  antithetic.  Like  many  a  ship  crossing  the 
ocean,  he  meets  opposing  currents  and  fierce 
gales  which  drive  him  from  the  straight 
course.  As  the  sailing  vessel  has  to  tack 
many  a  time,  going  this  way  and  that  in 
order  to  gain  a  little,  so  is  it  with  the  Chris- 
tian in  his  passage  to  heaven.  The  log- 
book of  a  ship  describes  the  soul's  voyage 
to  the  Land  of  Glory.  It  is  unusual  to 
have  a  smooth  sea  and  fine  weather  during 
the  whole  passage.  Days  pleasant  and  un- 
pleasant, nights  dark  and  clear,  the  speed  fast 
and  slow,  characterize  the  voyage.  Some- 
times one  even  loses  his  reckoning,  and  can 
not  tell  where  he  is.  By  and  by  the  sun 
comes  out,  and  with  that  his  true  position, 
and  so  he  is  filled  with  joy.  Hope  and  fear, 
grief  and  gladness,  faith  and  unbelief,  pain 
and  pleasure,  mark  the  history  of  the  re- 
ligious mind.  Our  progress  is  conditioned 
by  a  law  of  antagonism.  In  the  midst  of 
contraries  we  are  to  fight  our  way.  He 
who  gains  the  victory  shall  be   saved.     The. 


Laws  of  Progress.  209 

ideal   progress  will   be    seen   in   the   eternal 
kingdom  of  life. 

There  is  no  development  upon  earth  except 
that  which  is  antithetic.  The  vapor  ascends 
and  the  rain  falls.  The  very  light  comes  to 
us  in  waves.  Sound  trembles  in  its  journey 
through  the  air.  Our  blood  beats  in  its 
passage.  We  are  conscious  and  unconscious, 
remember  and  forget,  sleep  and  awake,  live 
and  die.  The  earth  has  its  day  and  night, 
its  summer  and  winter.  Knowledge  and 
civilization  are  never  uniform.  Man  individ- 
ually and  collectively  goes  by  starts.  Ac- 
tivity and  indolence  mark  his  way.  There 
are  bright  and  dark  ages,  progress  and  ret- 
rogression, revolution  and  repose.  Empires 
rise  and  fall,  races  live  and  disappear.  If 
a  distinguished  father  seldom  has  a  son  as 
distinguished  as  himself,  so  a  noted  period 
of  history  is  seldom  followed  by  one  that 
equals  it.  The  first  age  of  Christianity  was 
purer  than  the  second.  The  seventeenth 
century  in  England  showed  greater  mental 
and  spiritual  power  than  the  eighteenth.  It 
is  doubtful  whether  the  twentieth  century 
will  equal  the  nineteenth  in  fruitfulness  of 
thought  and  invention.     Thus  a  people  strong 

14 


2IO  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

to-day  are  weak  to-morrow,  and  a  people 
weak  to-day  are  strong  to-morrow.  The 
pride  that  echoes  our  greatness  is  the  be- 
ginning of  our  relapse,  and  the  humility 
that  proclaims  our  nothingness  is  the  first 
step  of  our  ascending  march.  Grlory  in  truth 
for  truth's  sake,  may  have  wrapped  up  in 
it  self-sufficiency  and  hatred  of  God.  The 
waving  banner  of  our  bravery  may  simply 
tell  of  our  defeat.  Our  life  may  be  death. 
There  is  a  wisdom  which  is  not  wise,  a  good- 
ness not  good,  a  happiness  not  happy.  The 
weak  are  the  strong:  the  lost  are  the  saved. 
Christian  progress  is  something  like  a 
winding  staircase  that  leads  to  the  top  of 
a  high  monument.  It  is  like  a  road  that 
is  cut  around  a  great  mountain;  ascending 
little  by  little,  till  finally  after  severe  labor 
the  summit  is  reached.  Religious  devel- 
opment takes  the  spiral  form.  The  posi- 
tion of  leaves  on  the  branch  of  a  tree  illus- 
trates the  principle.  ''The  spiral  line  of 
development  as  the  initial  in  evolution," 
says  Dr.  Dana,  ''and  retained  in  its  perfec- 
tion in  the  spiral  arrangement  of  leaves  in 
plants,  as  well  as  in  the  parts  of  some  ani- 
mals,   is    a    grand    law    which    science    has 


Laws  of  Progress.  211 

evolved  from  the  mass  of  facts  in  the  plant 
kingdom.  And  this  law  has  its  more  special 
announcements:  follow  the  leaves,  from  one 
leaf  (A)  as  a  starting  point  aromid  the  stem, 
taking  the  course  of  the  spiral  to  another 
leaf  (B)  in  the  same  vertical  Une  with  the 
first;  and  if  there  are  two  or  three  leaves 
in  the  spiral,  the  spiral  goes  around  but 
once  before  reaching  leaf  B;  if  there  are 
five  leaves  in  the  spiral,  the  spiral  revolves 
two  times  before  it  reaches  leaf  B;  if  there 
are  eight  leaves,  it  revolves  three  times;  if 
thirteen  leaves,  it  revolves  five  time;  if 
twenty-one  leaves,  eight  times;  and  so  on, 
and  the  converse,  by  an  inflexible  rule. 
Placing  the  number  of  leaves  above^  and  num- 
ber of  turns  below,  the  following  series  ex- 
presses the  relation: — I  ?  2  3  5^  s^  ^ow  the 
last  eight,  the  number  of  revolutions  for  a 
spiral  of  twenty-one  leaves,  is  the  sum  of 
five  and  three  of  the  two  next  proceeding 
spirals  in  the  series;  and  twenty-one,  of 
thirteen  and  eight  of  the  same  two  proceed- 
ing spirals.  In  this  way  the  series  extends 
on,  in  exact  mathematical  relation."  *  Al- 
though Christian  development  takes  the  spiral 

*  "Bibliotheca  Sacra,"  vol.  xiii.,  p.  85. 


212  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

form,  yet  it  has  not  that  regularity  and  com- 
pleteness that  are  seen  in  the  arrangement 
of  leaves  in  the  plant  kingdom.  The  move- 
ment upward  is  zigzag.  There  may  even  be 
a  sinking  down  for  a  time  by  reason  of  some 
great  sin:  then  there  is  a  rising  again  by  re- 
pentance and  love  to  a  higher  plane  of  life 
than  was  reached  before.  There  is  a  gain 
finally,  though  not  a  gain,  perhaps,  each 
hour  or  day.  The  Christian  Church  has 
made  progress  in  the  long  run;  yet  certain 
years  and  ages  show  a  manifest  decline. 
Places  that  once  had  the  gospel,  now  have 
it  not;  and  places  that  once  had  not  the 
gospel,  now  have  it.  There  is  a  ''geo- 
graphical march "  in  religion,  as  well  as 
in  history  generally.  It  is  safe  to  affirm 
that  there  is  more  of  vital  Christianity  to- 
day than  ever  existed  before;  a  greater  num- 
ber of  pious  souls  now  upon  the  stage  than 
ever  flourished  during  any  previous  century. 
The  river  that  took  its  rise  in  Eden  has 
never  ceased  to  flow.  The  heat  of  summer 
has  never  dried  it,  and  the  cold  of  winter 
has  never  frozen  it.  Millions  of  people  have 
quenched  their  thirst  out  of  it  in  the  ages 
of  the    past,    and   millions    more    will    drink 


Laws  of  Progress.  213 

out  of  it  in  the  ages  to  come.  The  river  is 
wider  and  deeper  than  it  was  at  the  begin- 
ning. Indeed,  it  seems  ahiiost  at  certain 
places  to  be  a  great  sea.  The  fountain  that 
burst  forth  from  Calvary  has  increased  the 
volume  of  its  waters;  and  that  fountain 
never  abates  on  any  day,  for  a  stream  flows 
forth  from  it  greater  than  ever  before.  The 
river  is  not  straight,  except  at  a  few  points. 
It  winds  around  hills,  goes  through  valleys, 
and  over  plains  as  the  case  may  be.  As  one 
looks  at  it  from  the  mountains  of  God,  it  is 
very  beautiful.  Trees  of  life  grow  along  its 
margin;  and  the  fruit  of  them  is  like  to  that 
which  they  have  in  heaven;  and  the  leaves 
are  always  green.  In  future  centuries  the 
river  will  flow  around  the  earth.  It  will 
then  be  called  the  Heavenly  River;  for  the 
people  who  live  upon  its  banks  will  be  very 
pure,  and  the  angels  shall  abide  with  them 
through  all  the   years. 

The  fifth  law  of  religious  progress  shows 
that  development  is  from  fewness  to  mani' 
foldness.  Beginning  with  the  first  principles 
of  love,  penitence,  and  faith,  we  are  to  go 
forth  to  an  extended  multiplicity.  The  in- 
itial stage  of  development  is  always  simple; 


f:-.. 


214  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

always  working  in  a  narrow  sphere.  The 
different  civihzations  of  the  past  had  fewer 
characteristics  about  them,  than  have  the 
civihzations  of  the  present.  Even  the  hfe 
of  a  hundred  years  ago  had  a  simphcity  and 
plainness  which  we  see  not  in  our  day.  The 
nations  most  assuredly  have  entered  upon  a 
new  cycle  of  development.  Manifoldness  is 
the  characteristic  of  the  present.  There  may 
not  always  be  depth,  not  always  soundness, 
yet  there  is  a  most  astonishing  multiplicity. 
We  have  in  many  cases  a  grievous  number 
of  wants,  a  host  of  painful  desires,  a  restless 
rushing  after  things  that  profit  us  not.  The 
souls  of  the  time  seem  to  be  more  intense 
and  hungry  than  the  souls  of  the  early  ages; 
yet  the  food  which  they  need  they  do  not 
always  find;  and  so  they  roll  and  dart  away 
as  the  vexed  fish  in  the  wastes  of  the  sea. 
Christianity  must  be  manifold.  It  must  touch 
human  nature  at  every  point.  It  must  have 
a  kind  of  omnipresence.  G-race  must  be 
added  to  grace.  "Progress,"  says  Profes- 
sor Guyot,  ' '  is  diversification.  Homo-gene- 
ousness,  uniformity,  is  the  elementary  state. 
Diversity,  variety  of  elements,  which  call  for 
and  multiply   exchanges;  the   almost  infinite 


Laws  of  Progress.  215 

specialization  of  the  functions  corresponding 
to  the  various  talents  bestowed  on  every 
man  by  Providence,  and  only  called  into 
action  and  brought  to  light  by  the  thousand 
wants  of  a  society  as  complicated  as  ours, — 
these  have,  in  all  times,  been  the  sign  of  a 
social  state  arrived  at  a  high  degree  of  im- 
provement.'' *  There  must  be  a  spiritual 
wealth  about  the  new  man.  He  should 
have  an  interest  in  all  that  is  good.  JS^o 
virtue  must  be  wanting,  no  course  of  train- 
ing forgotten,  no  self-denial  passed  aside. 
What  a  scene  of  development  takes  place 
from  the  time  the  seed  is  planted  in  the 
ground,  until  the  time  when  the  seed  has 
become  a  tree  and  is  loaded  with  fruit. 
What  a  picture  of  manifoldness  is  such  a 
tree !  How  it  symbolizes  a  good  man ; 
points  to  progress  and  perfection.  If  we 
could  look  upon  the  rude  materials  which 
w^ere  designed  for  some  great  cathedral,  and 
then  look  upon  the  cathedral  after  it  was 
finished,  we  should  be  astonished.  The  mul- 
tiplicity and  elaborateness  on  the  one  hand, 
and  the  fewness  and  roughness  of  substances 
on  the   other,  would  startle  us  by  the   con- 

*  "Earth  and  Man,"  p.  97. 


2i6  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

trast.  What  a  vast  number  of  thoughts 
would  such  an  edifice  show  forth !  The 
Christian  mind  and  character  should  be  em- 
blemized   by  such   a  noble   fabric. 

Not  merely  by  righteous  deeds  are  we 
to  extend  and  beautify  the  character,  but 
by  using  the  wondrous  variety  of  divine  truths 
that  meet  us  on  the  pages  of  the  Bible. 
There  is  not  a  single  Christian  doctrine, 
however  mysterious  it  may  be,  but  that 
can  be  turned  into  a  practical  channel. 
New  views  of  God  and  salvation,  of  law 
and  duty,  will  generate  a  new  class  of  feel- 
ings, and  will  enrich  greatly  the  soul.  If 
we  reject  any  single  doctrine  of  Christianity, 
which  to  our  mind  is  not  a  doctrine  of  Chris- 
tianity at  all,  then  we  suffer  in  our  charac- 
ter. Each  divine  thought  was  designed  to 
have  a  place  in  fashioning  and  fitting  us  for 
heaven.  There  may  be  phases  of  God's  sov- 
ereignty and  severity  which  we  do  not  heart- 
ily admire;  and  so  we  may  aim  to  soften 
them  down  as  not  in  harmony  with  our  ideal 
of  a  Perfect  Being:  but  just  to  the  extent 
that  we  do  this,  we  sink  in  the  scale  of 
moral  excellence.  The  most  complete  men 
are  those  who  have  allowed  the  totality  of 


Laws  of  Progress.  217 

divine  truth  to  touch  their  souls.  The  more 
we  come  in  a  hne  with  the  grand  theology 
of  Scripture  the  more  we  approach  the  per- 
fection of  God.  If  there  be  phases  of  the 
divine  administration  that  baffle  us,  then  let 
these  very  phases  develop  in  us  a  feeling  of 
awe  and  submission.  A  God  that  is  squared 
to  match  with  the  finite  and  fallen  reason 
of  man,  is  sure  to  be  no  God  at  all.  There 
are  difficulties  everywhere.  To  escape  from 
them  is  not  possible.  The  very  difficulties 
may  discipline  the  soul,  making  it  stronger 
forever.  It  is  wise,  then,  to  grasp  every 
form  of  truth,  that  the  human  spirit  may 
be  made  complete.  When  we  look  at  Christ, 
we  can  see  the  manifoldness  of  his  character. 
He  showed  no  mark  of  immaturity  and  con- 
tractedness.  The  one-sided  and  unfinished 
were  not  his.  He  dwelt  in  the  midst  of 
truth;  was  Truth  itself.  Each  perfection 
shone  in  his  life.  Each  virtue  found  a 
home  in  his  heart.  To  approach  his  image 
is  our  labor.     To  reach  that  image  is  heaven. 


CHAPTER   X. 

TO  ADVANCE    TN   THE    RELIGION  OF   CHRIST  DE, 
MANDS  STRENUOUS  EFFORT. 

nPHERE  is  evidently  a  law  of  limitation 
in  the  bestowment  of  divine  grace, 
making  it  necessary  for  every  Christian  to 
struggle  to  the  utmost.  Although  remedial 
powers  may  be  said  to  be  co-extensive  with 
the  divine  nature,  yet,  in  using  these  powers, 
there  is  a  principle  of  caution  and  economy. 
There  are  no  trade-winds  of  love  which  sweep 
passive  souls  onward  till  heaven  is  reached. 
Salvation  by  grace  is  not  salvation  through 
the  medium  of  indifference.  If  we  use  our 
moral  power  at  any  given  time,  God  will 
give  us  more;  but,  if  we  are  sluggish,  dark- 
ness surrounds  us.  Even  Christ  was  pressed 
'  to  the  utmost  limit  of  human  endurance 
Although  all  the  resources  of  the  Godhead 
were  his,  there  was  some  great  law  that 
conditioned  and  measured  their  use.  How 
can  we   explain  the   fact  that  he  was  in  an 


Advancement  Demands  Effort.     219 

agony,  except  upon  the  supposition  that  di- 
vine strength  could  only  be  used  by  him 
to  a  certain  extent.  If  the  Redeemer  had 
wrought  out  salvation  with  ease,  then  with 
ease  souls  might  have  been  saved.  It  would 
seem  almost  as  if  redemption  were  an  ex- 
ceptional thing  in  the  system  of  God,  and 
as  if  it  must  be  guarded  with  great  care 
lest  evil  should  come  out  of  it.  When  we 
look  at  the  matter  of  doing  good,  we  can 
see  plainly  enough  that  this  is  not  by  any 
means  an  easy  thing  The  march  of  Chris- 
tianity in  this  world  has  been  slow.  Men 
have  had  to  toil  long  and  painfully  in  order 
to  accomplish  a  little.  We  are  to  be  pos- 
sessed with  a  great  thought,  and  with  that 
great  thought  firing  and  fixing  our  souls 
we  are  to  go  forward.  Yet  when  we  have 
done  our  best,  the  suggestive  words  sound 
through  our  being — "The  righteous  scarcdy 
are  saved."  They  do  enter  heaven,  but  that 
is  all.  To  some  Christian  souls  there  may 
be  twelve  degrees  of  grace,  to  others  twenty, 
to  others  one  hundred,  and  even  to  some 
royal  spirits  there  may  be  one  thousand; 
but  each  has  somewhat  according  to  his 
manner  of  life.     Grod  can  do  no  more  than 


220  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

lie  has  done  in  the  case  of  any  religious 
man.  Every  thing  shows,  therefore,  that 
we  must  be  intent  in  the  matter  of  our 
Christianity. 

Two  leading  powers  in  the  development 
of  the  race,  have  been  the  sense  of  profit  and 
the  sense  of  ^pleasure.  Look  at  man  in  a 
rude  state.  If  clothing  is  needed,  the  in- 
dividual provides  it  for  himself.  If  a  hut 
is  wanted,  he  constructs  one.  Tools,  weap- 
ons of  defence,  cooking  utensils,  furniture, 
ornaments,  are  all  made  by  himself.  It  is 
seen,  however,  after  a  time,  that  labor  can 
be  divided  with  great  benefit  to  all  con- 
cerned. Consequently  there  appear  carpen- 
ters, masons,  weavers,  tailors,  shoemakers, 
traders,  and  many  others.  A  man  feels 
that  it  is  more  profitable  and  pleasant  to 
confine  his  attention  to  one  thing.  By  con- 
centration of  effort,  articles  are  perfected, 
cheapened,  and  thus  rendered  more  acces- 
sible. Under  the  impulses  of  profit  and 
pleasure,  one  man  chooses  one  calling,  and 
another  man  another  calling.  Each  is  anx- 
ious to  gain  as  much  wealth  as  he  can, 
and  as  much  comfort  as  he  can.  There  are 
persons  who  change  from  one  branch  of  in- 


Advancement  Demands  Effort.     221 

dustry  to  another,  because  they  think  that 
the  change  will  be  more  agreeable  and  prof- 
itable to  them.  Men  go  from  the  country 
to  the  city,  and  from  one  state  to  another, 
under  the  influence  of  the  same  motives. 
Inventions  are  multiplied,  commerce  is  ex- 
tended, machinery  is  set  in  motion,  at  the 
bidding  of  profit  and  pleasure.  Sometimes 
one  of  these  motives  will  be  made  subordi- 
nate to  the  other.  A  man  may  see  a  for- 
tune before  him  which  can  only  be  reached 
through  the  medium  of  suffering:  he  is  will- 
ing to  suffer.  Another  man  tired  with  the 
rush  after  wealth  sinks  into  indolence:  the 
love  of  ease  to  him  is  a  sweet  joy. 

Entering,  then,  the  sphere  of  Christian 
discipline,  we  are  met  by  these  two  princi- 
ples of  action.  They  seek  to  govern  us ; 
seek  to  neutralize  our  piety;  seek  to  human- 
ize it  as  much  as  possible.  Religion,  how- 
ever, is  not  mere  profit  and  pleasure.  Holi- 
ness is  the  chief  thing;  the  expulsion  of  sin 
the  chief  thing.  To  allow  one's  self  to  be 
governed  by  the  agreeable  and  the  profit- 
able is  easy;  but  to  strike  out  upon  a  course 
of  righteousness  is  difficult.  At  the  begin- 
ning of  the  Christian  life  I  can  see  that  pain 


222  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

is  the  condition  of  purity.  I  am  beset  with 
cravings  that  I  must  deny;  and  to  deny  these 
cravings  is  not  pleasant.  Here  are  appetites 
of  fearful  power;  appetites  that  have  ruined 
millions;  and  I  must  keep  them  in  their 
proper  place.  A  system  of  materialism  is 
outside  of  me,  capable  of  generating  both 
painful  and  pleasant  sensations,  and  I  must 
make  it  subordinate.  In  the  human  soul  is 
the  love  of  power,  the  love  of  honor,  and 
the  love  of  action — these  mnst  be  regu- 
lated. Even  the  affections  that  centre  in 
the  family,  the  nation,  and  the  race,  have 
to  be  watched.  Then  there  is  ignorance  and 
selfishness  that  we  must  fight  against.  Con- 
sidering the  vast  power  and  range  of  de- 
pravity in  the  soul,  the  drill  in  holiness  is 
not  easy.  Whether  a  man  wants  a  vigorous 
intellect  or  a  vigorous  heart,  he  must  suffer 
pain.  Neither  a  scholar  nor  a  saint  can  be 
formed  without  severe  discipline. 

We  must  say  this,  however,  that  so  long 
as  goodness  is  practised  under  a  sense  of 
pain,  there  is  weakness  and  imperfection. 
*'We  must  make  the  pleasure  or  pain,'^ 
says  Aristotle,  "which  follows  after  acts  a 
test  of  the  habits;  for  he  who  abstains  from 


Advancement  Demands  Effort.     223 

the  bodil}^  pleasures,  and  in  this  very  thing 
takes  pleasure,  is  temperate ;  but  he  who 
feels  pain  at  it  is  intemperate;  and  he  who 
meets  dangers  and  rejoices  at  it,  or  at  least 
feels  no  pain,  is  brave;  but  he  who  feels 
pain  is  a  coward."  *  The  pain  is  a  sign 
that  evil  is  trying  to  hold  its  own;  and,  so 
long  as  it  exists,  it  shows  that  the  evil  is 
not  conquered.  The  aim,  then,  must  be  to 
reach  a  stage  of  development  when  pain  shall 
give  way  to  pleasure.  Not  till  moral  action 
and  joy  come  together  is  there  a  right  state 
of  soul.  Many  things  in  life  are  painful  at 
first;  but  by  continual  practice  they  become 
pleasant.  So  long  as  I  have  to  urge  my 
soul  to  duty  by  the  most  stirring  motives, 
that  shows  that  I  am  weak:  but  when  I 
can  obey  God  from  pure  willingness,  that 
shows  that  I  am  strong. 

Still,  while  I  am  in  the  imperfect  state, 
I  must  make  myself  do  what  I  do  not  want 
to  do.  The  will  must  go  forth  into  action 
at  the  command  of  the  purest  motives,  at 
the  very  time  motives  of  an  opposite  char- 
acter are  striving  to  hold  it  back.  A  disa- 
greeable   duty   may    consist   in   beginning   a 

*  "Nicom.  Ethics,"  p.  37.     Bohn's  ed. 


1 


224  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

course  of  action  which  has  been  left  unbe- 
gun for  years ;  it  may  consist  in  restoring 
money  that  was  taken  by  fraud;  in  forsak- 
ing companions  that  have  never  done  me 
any  good;  in  asking  forgiveness  of  a  man 
whom  I  have  injured,  or  in  treating  a  man 
kindly  who  has  injured  me.  "  The  young 
Scythian  was  bound  to  drink  the  blood  of 
the  first  enemy  whose  life  he  had  taken; 
and  he  who  had  not  drunk  of  this  horrible 
draught  was  condemned  to  sit  apart  in  the 
great  festivals  presided  over  by  the  chiefs 
of  the  tribe."  We  are  not  bound  by  any 
unnatural  custom  like  that.  We  must  sim- 
ply do  our  duty  though  it  seems  like  pluck- 
ing out  a  right  eye,  or  cutting  off  a  right 
arm.  If  we  can  fasten  the  soul  to  a  final 
purpose  to  go  straight  forward  in  the  path 
of  goodness,  whatever  the  opposition,  that 
will  greatly  help  us.  "Resolved,"  says  Pres- 
ident Edwards,  ''  that  /  will  do  whatsoever  I 
think  to  be  most  to  God's  glory  and  my 
own  good,  ON  THE  WHOLE ;  without  any  con- 
sideration of  the  time,  whether  now,  or  never 
so  many  myriads  of  ages  hence;  to  do  what- 
ever I  think  to  be  my  duty,  and  most  for 
the  good  and  advantage  of  mankind  in  gen- 


Advancement  Demands  Effort.     225 

eral — whatever  difficulties  I  meet  with,  how 
many  and  how  great  soever."  *  Xew  hfe 
enters  the  soul  by  the  mere  reading  of  such 
a  resolution  as  that. 

I  must  so  train  myself  that  I  shall  not 
be  irritated  or  vexed.  That  the  things  are 
numerous  which  are  calculated  to  sour  the 
mind,  no  one  can  doubt;  but  merely  to  flee 
from  these  things  is  not  to  flee  from  the 
native  sourness  of  the  soul.  Are  there  per- 
sons who  defame  me  as  matter  of  fact?  per- 
sons who  slight  me  as  matter  of  fact?  Be 
it  so.  What  follows?  That  I  should  be  ex- 
cited for  days  and  weeks  because  of  these 
things?  Yery  far  from  it.  Rather  this,  that 
I  should  take  hold  of  my  feelings  that  are 
apt  to  be  rasped  and  put  them  in  subjec- 
tion. These  feelings  have  no  right  to  con- 
quer me:  I  must  conquer  them.  How  is 
it  possible  to  insult  a  man?  In  a  vast  num- 
ber of  cases  it  is  the  self-importance  that 
has  been  insulted,  and  not  the  real  man 
at  all.  Shall  I  then  give  way  to  my  pride? 
This  would  be  to  unman  myself;  to  make 
myself  contemptible  in  my  own  eyes.  A 
man  made    for  immortality  soured?    a   man 

*  "Works,"  i.,  p.  3. 
15 


226  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

made  for  the  infinite  God  insulted?  This 
is  without  meaning.  What  is  there  in  the 
breath  of  a  mortal,  in  the  look  of  an  eye 
that  will  shortly  be  the  food  of  worms,  in 
the  motion  of  a  hand  that  will  be  stiff  in 
death  quite  soon  ?  Higher  up  we  must  live. 
Too  earthly  we  are.  "Remember,"  says  Ep- 
ictetus,  "that  to  the  brave  and  wise  and 
true  there  is  really  no  such  thing  as  mis- 
fortune; the  croak  of  the  raven  can  portend 
no  harm  to  such  a  man.  We  do  not  choose 
our  own  parts  in  life,  and  have  nothing  to 
do  with  those  parts  ;^  our  simple  duty  is  con- 
fined to  playing  them  well.  The  slave  may 
be  as  free  as  the  consul;  and  freedom  is  the 
chief  of  blessings.  No  one  can  insult  you 
if  you  will  not  regard  his  words  or  deeds 
as  insults." 

We  can  not  very  well  escape  from  temp- 
tation, yet  we  may  escape  from  the  sin  to 
which  the  temptation  moves  us.  There  is 
no  causative  power  in  temptation:  it  is  sim- 
ply the  occasion  of  evil.  The  causative 
power  lies  in  the  bad  heart  and  will.  I 
shall  lift  a  greater  weight  and  carry  a  greater 
burden  forever  because  I  was  tempted  here. 
It   is   impossible    for    us    to    know    the    ex- 


Advancement  Demands  Effort.     227 

act  state  of  our  character  until  we  are 
tempted.  What  we  deem  to  be  favored 
virtues  may  be  nothing  but  favored  sins. 
"I  can  not  praise,"  remarks  Milton,  ''a 
fugitive  and  cloistered  virtue,  unexercised 
and  unbreathed,  that  never  sallies  out  and 
sees  her  adversary,  but  shnks  out  of  the 
race  where  the  immortal  garland  is  to 
be  run  for,  not  without  dust  and  heat. 
Assuredly  we  bring  not  innocence  into  the 
world  —  we  bring  impurity  much  rather; 
that  which  purifies  us  is  trial,  and  trial  is 
by  what  is  contrary.  The  virtue,  therefore, 
which  is  but  a  youngling  in  the  contempla- 
tion of  evil,  and  knows  not  the  utmost  that 
vice  promises  to  her  followers,  and  rejects 
it,  is  but  a  blank  virtue,  not  a  pure." 

We  are  frequently  told  to  look  on  the 
bright  side,  as  if  only  in  that  way  we  can 
truly  drill  the  soul  in  righteousness.  That 
may  be  the  best  way  to  escape  from  trou- 
ble, but  not  the  best  way  to  escape  from 
sin.  No  mind  is  a  true  mind  that  does  not 
look  on  the  dark  as  well  as  on  the  bright. 
To  train  ourselves  merely  to  view  the  fair 
and  tiie  attractive  is  to  cheat  the  soul.  It 
is  our  duty  to  see  things  just  as  they  are 


228  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

I  have  no  right  to  make  good  and  evil  to 
be  less  or  more  than  they  are.  To  look 
away  from  evil  will  never  destroy  it.  The 
soul  may  sink  into  a  pleasant  reverie,  but 
it  is  not  redeemed  in  that  way.  The  holi- 
est men  have  felt  sin  the  most:  the  most 
sinful  men  have  felt  it  the  least.  If  I 
would  reform  myself  or  the  world,  I  must 
grasp  both  sin  and  salvation. 

The  rchgious  soul  should  have  in  suitable 
measure  the  quality  of  moral  indignation. 
According  to  the  intensity  of  our  love  of 
goodness,  should  be  the  intensity  of  our 
hatred  of  wickedness.  How  the  Saviour 
addressed  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  in  the 
clear  heat  of  his  indignation !  Sharply  as 
eternal  truth  lie  tells  them  that  tliey  are 
blind  guides,  that  they  had  taken  away  the 
key  of  knowledge,  that  they  devoured  wid- 
ows' houses,  that  they  are  hypocrites,  and 
that  they  could  not  escape  the  damnation 
of  hell.  The  holy  indignation  of  God  has 
about  it  an  infinite  intensity.  It  is  because 
his  purity  is  so  pure  that  his  entire  moral 
nature  rises  up  against  sin.  The  same  book 
which  affirms  that  "God  is  love,"  affirms 
that    "  rjod    is    a    consuming    fire."     Tlumaii 


Advancement  Df.mands  Effort.      229 

pro^^iM'ss  is  only  si  paintiii;^  of  /^jxxine.s.s,  ho 
long  jiH  a  liigli-toiKMl  indignation  i.s  wanting 
Those  cycloH  of  advance  vvliicli  mark  the 
history  of  great  koiiIh  wen;  all  eonini(;nced 
by  a  H(tnH(;  of  .sin  tiiat  was  d(;ep,  and  a 
hatred  of  it  that  was  holy,  ^riiere  are 
(IcmmIs  of  men  vvhi(;h,  tin;  moment  W(;  see 
them,  should  :i\vak(;n  within  us  an  exceed- 
ingly sliMrp  indignation.  It  has  been  re- 
portcMl  of  the;  \Utv.  Fr(;(h;rick  Robertson, 
that  "  Ih;  h:iH  b(;(;n  se(;n  to  grind  hi.s  teeth, 
and  clench  his  list  vvh(;n  passuig  a  rnan 
who,  he  knciw,  was  b(;nt  on  destroying  an 
innoccmt  girl."  '^I^K^re  is  even  a  punitive 
eh^ment  in  righteous  indignation.  It  takes 
8id(;s  with  law,  d(;mands  that  the  gnilty 
shall   sillier. 

Moral  courage  must  also  app(;ar  as  the 
result  of  (yhristian  dis(;i|)lin(;.  Without  this 
forc(dul  (pialily  tin;  lite  will  always  have  a 
(pertain  tameness  about  it.  Moi'al  (Mjurage 
should  contain  the  summing  up  of  the  soul's 
goodness;  as  it  in  this  it  found  a  way  to  ex* 
press  its(dl',  and  by  this  tin;  n;al  strengtli  of 
th(;  characjter  was  seen.  It  is  the  speech  of 
re(;titud(i,  the  voice  of  truth,  the  flame  of  love. 
The  martyr  (^hristijinity   is  always    bold.     A 


230  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

fine  specimen  of  boldness  is  presented  to  us 
by  the  chaplain  of  Frederick  William  the 
First  of  Prussia.  The  monarch  was  upon 
his  dying  bed;  and  the  faithful  minister  ad- 
dresses him  in  the  following  way.  "'I  have 
often  told  your  majesty  that  Christ  is  the 
hope  of  our  salvation,  on  the  two  condi- 
tions that  we  accept  him  with  the  heart, 
and  follow  his  example  and  precepts.  So 
long  as  we  fail  in  either  of  these  conditions, 
so  long  can  we  not  enter  into  his  rest. 
And  if  your  majesty  were  to  be  saved  by  a 
miracle,  you  would  not  enjoy  heaven,  in 
the  condition  of  mind  in  which  you  now  are. 
Your  army,  your  treasures,  your  lands  must 
remain  here — no  courtiers  can  follow  you 
there,  no  servants  on  whom  you  can  wreak 
your  anger.  In  heaven  a  man  must  have  a 
heavenly  mind.'  These  were  words  worthy 
of  a  Kathan.  The  king  remained  silent, 
and  yet  he  looked  round  with  an  appeahng, 
supplicating  eye,  as  if  to  say,  Will  no  one 
come  to  my  relief?  But  when  the  attend- 
ants retired  and  the  monarch  began  to  re- 
count his  sins  one  by  one,  the  chaplain 
refused  to  listen  to  so  unprotestant  a  con- 
fession,  and   only    demanded   that   the   king 


Advancement  Demands  Effort.     231 

should  acknowledge  the  need  of  a  change  of 
heart,  and  this  Frederick  William  would 
not  grant.  He  thought  that  in  this  kings 
had  the  advantage  of  other  men,  and  he  in- 
sisted on  justifying  himself  by  his  good 
works.  And  when  some  one  who  stood  by 
sided  with  the  dying  man,  the  chaplain 
charged  upon  the  poor  monarch  the  blows 
which  he  had  inflicted  upon  his  subjects, 
the  tyranny  he  had  exercised  over  them, 
and  the  unjust  sentences  of  death  which  he 
had  passed."* 

The  good  man  must  also  school  himself 
into  the  ministering  form  of  Christianity.  If 
he  has  gained  knowledge,  let  him  communi- 
cate that  to  others.  If  he  has  trained  him- 
self to  logical  thinking,  let  him  use  that  gift 
in  the  advocacy  of  truth  and  righteousness. 
Has  he  cultivated  a  fine  taste,  so  that  aes- 
thetic studies  are  pleasant  to  him  ?  then  let 
him  imbue  other  minds  with  the  same  char- 
acteristic. If  he  has  a  rich  and  well-guarded 
imagination,  let  him  yield  up  the  treasures 
at  his  command  to  others;  stamping  the  same 
glowing  pictures  upon  their  souls  that  he  has 
in  his  own.     Is  he  subjective  in  the  cast  of 

*  Haganbach,  "German  Rationalism,"  p.  21. 


232  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

his  mind,  knowing  the  heights  and  depths 
that  are  found  there  ?  let  him  try  and  make 
others  equally  subjective,  that  they  may 
understand  that  nature  which  is  immortal, 
fallen,  and  lost.  Is  he  outward  in  the  bent 
of  his  soul,  struck  with  that  which  he  sees 
and  hears?  let  him  give  all  that  is  valuable 
from  that  quarter,  whether  it  belongs  to 
man  or  manners,  to  seas  or  stars,  to  insects 
playing  in  the  air,  or  birds  chanting  the 
hymns  of  God.  If  he  can  make  known 
some  historical  event  of  great  moment,  point 
to  some  link  of  a  chain  of  Providence  that  is 
different  from  all  others,  mention  a  particu- 
lar mountain  or  plain  that  is  instinct  with 
meaning,  then  let  him  do  all  this  in  the  best 
way  he  can.  If  his  soul  has  been  sounded 
and  searched  by  thoughts  that  relate  to  an 
endless  life,  let  him  make  known  the  fact, 
if  so  be  he  may  entice  others  to  think  of 
that  country  and  kingdom  where  men  dwell 
in  peace  forever.  If  the  miseries  of  hell 
have  startled  him,  so  that  his  soul  turned 
pale  before  an  awful  vision,  then  he  may  tell 
the  vision  to  others,  that  they  may  flee  from 
the  coming  wrath.  Whether  what  he  has  to 
say  be  dreadful  or   the   contrary,   divine  or 


Advancement  Demands  Effort.     233 

human,  let  him  do  his  duty.  God  is  to  be 
served  whether  the  service  brings  praise  or 
blame. 

The  piety  of  missions  must  also  be  devel- 
oped. It  is  safe  to  say  that  the  highest 
type  of  Christianity  is  the  missionary  Chris- 
tianity. As  specimens  of  pure  and  power- 
ful religion,  where  shall  we  find  men  like 
Brainerd,  Henry  Martyn,  Swartz,  and  Dr. 
Judson  ?  What  a  fine  class  of  men  the 
Moravians  have  produced — humble,  self-sac- 
rificing, dying  that  the  heathen  around  them 
might  live !  The  missionary  spirit  develops 
a  noble  enthusiasm.  The  enthusiasm  is  kin- 
dled by  the  attempt  to  save  the  perishing. 
The  enthusiasm  clears  the  atmosphere  of  the 
soul,  banishes  doubts  and  fears,  starts  latent 
energies.  There  is  holy  excitement.  We 
behold  men  of  the  burning  heart.  Chris- 
tians should  view  themselves  as  containing 
a  spiritual  fund  to  be  used  for  the  eternal 
good  of  men,  or  at  least  they  should  view 
themselves  as  the  channels  through  which 
flows  the  wealth  of  God  to  the  nations.  We 
are  accustomed  to  say  that  a  ' '  moral  sense  '^ 
characterizes  the  whole  race  of  man:  so  a 
missionary   sense    ought   to    characterize    the 


234  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

whole  race  of  Christians.  This  missionary 
sense  should  be  cultivated  to  the  highest 
extent  possible.  It  should  be  the  imper- 
sonation of  divine  love.  If  the  cause  of 
missions  had  done  no  more  than  lead  men 
to  give  of  their  substance  in  order  to  send 
the  gospel  to  pagan  lands,  it  would  still  have 
done  much  towards  purifying  Christian  souls. 
The  heart  is  opened,  refined,  and  expanded 
by  this  means.  I  am  to  give  freely,  quickly, 
inteUigently,  and  largely.  My  gifts  are  to 
be  thank-offerings  and  prayers.  I  am  to 
keep  training  myself  until  I  can  give  a  large 
amount  with  pleasure.  If  I  dedicate  my 
property  to  God,  I  dedicate  my  soul  to  his 
service.^ 

A  leading  design  of  the  Church  is  to  rep- 
resent to  the  world  the  life  of  Christ.  No 
single  Christian  is  able  to  do  this.  One  may 
have  tenderness  and  courage;  another,  pa- 
tience and  perseverance;  another,  faith  and 
love;  another,  humility  and  hope.  When  we 
view  the  collective  people  of  God  with  all 
their  graces,  we  catch  a  faint  likeness  of  the 
Redeemer.  The  purer  the  Church,  the  lof- 
tier the  Saviour  appears.  Men  will  even 
talk  of  ''the  sins  of  Jesus."  when  his  dis- 


Advancement  Demands  Effort.      235 

ciples  are  like  the  common  multitude.  A 
veritable  Christian  is  evidence  that  Christ 
is  no  deceiver,  and  Christianity  no  lie.  If 
a  renovating  influence  does  flow  forth  from 
the  Redeemer  of  men,  the  proof  of  that 
must  be  seen  in  a  renovated  Church.  In 
Christians  Christ  becomes  incarnate;  in  them 
he  suffers  and  dies;  in  them  he  rises  again 
to  newness  of  life;  and  with  them  he  ascends 
to  the  right  hand  of  Grod.  The  cross  which 
they  carry  is  ever  a  reminder  of  the  one  on 
which  he  hung.  Their  tears  and  their  trav- 
ail make  us  to  think  of  his  agony.  The  love 
and  sorrow  of  the  entire  Church  of  God 
seem  to  shadow  forth  the  infinite  tragedy 
of  redemption. 


CHAPTER   XL 

DISCIPLINE  BEST  EFFECTED  IN  THE  RELIGION 
OF  CHRIST  BY  THOROUGHNESS  IN  ONE  OR  TWO 
THINGS. 

'T^O  a  person  who  thinks  carefully  in  re- 
gard to  the  training  of  the  mind,  a 
question  will  arise  like  this:  Is  it  better  to 
have  an  imperfect  knowledge  of  many  things, 
than  a  perfect  knowledge  of  a  few  things  ? 
Judging  by  the  general  practice,  an  imper- 
fect knowledge  of  many  things  is  deemed 
the  most  desirable.  Is  this  general  practice 
in  harmony  with  wisdom?  Would  it  not  be 
better,  all  things  considered,  to  concentrate 
the  attention  upon  one  or  two  things?  By 
adopting  this  method  the  mind  is  really  dis- 
ciplined. The  discipline  is  continued  for  a 
sufficiently  long  period.  This  strengthens 
the  mind.  The  person  does  not  merely 
feel  that  he  has  thoroughly  mastered  one 
or  two  subjects,  but  along  with  this  is  the 
consciousness    of  real   mental    strength.     He 


Means  of  Discipline.  237 

has  gained  the  power  of  thinking,  the  power 
of  continued  abstraction.  In  fact  he  has  the 
power  to  stand  alone.  It  is  not,  therefore, 
that  he  knows  all  about  one  or  two  subjects. 
This  is  a  good  and  desirable  thing.  But  be- 
yond the  knowledge,  he  has  trained  himself 
to  be  a  workman.  The  mind  is  educated. 
There  is  an  ability  to  take  hold  of  a  great 
variety  of  subjects,  and  to  go  through  with 
these  in  a  very  satisfactory  and  scholarly 
way.  It  is  not  that  the  person  stays  with 
the  one  or  two  subjects,  as  if  these  mark 
off  the  sum  of  his  knowledge,  and  equally 
the  amount  of  his  mental  ability.  N'ot  by 
any  means.  Having  now  learned  the  art  of 
thinking  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  blessed- 
ness of  thoroughness  on  the  other,  he  goes 
forward,  and  becomes  wiser  and  stronger 
each  day  that  he  lives  and  each  step  that 
he  takes. 

Take  now  the  other  person  who  believes 
that  it  is  best  to  know  a  little  of  every  thing, 
who  yet  has  never  mastered  a  single  sub- 
ject. Why,  the  very  first  thing  that  strikes 
you  in  regard  to  this  person  is  the  fact  that 
he  has  no  mental  training.  He  can  not  think 
out  a  difficult  subject;  a  subject  which  may 


238  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

take  days  or  weeks  to  understand.  He  has 
no  inclination  which  would  prompt  him  to 
undertake  such  severe  mental  labor.  If  he 
allowed  himself  to  begin,  he  would  soon 
grow  weary.  He  would  want  to  rest,  and 
refresh  himself.  Then  he  would  begin  again; 
try  for  a  while  again;  but  quickly  he  would 
tire,  finding  that  he  has  no  mental  ability 
for  such  a  task.  Not  only  is  there  this  dif- 
ficulty with  a  person  who  has  a  superficial 
knowledge  of  many  things,  but  the  many 
things  which  are  known  a  little,  begin  very 
soon  to  fade  away.  They  are  like  the  seed 
that  was  sown  upon  stony  ground  which 
quickly  sprang  up,  and  just  as  quickly  with- 
ered and  died.  There  is  not  sufficient  com- 
pass and  vigor  of  soul  to  hold  the  multitude 
of  little  knowledges.  The  mind  therefore, 
after  a  season,  becomes  meagre  and  empty. 
The  mere  smattering  of  Latin  and  French 
and  history  and  philosophy,  has  vanished 
away,  and  the  individual  is  out  upon  the 
journey  of  life  and  in  the  midst  of  the  busi- 
ness of  life  with  no  mental  capital  and  no 
mental  force.  Hundreds  and  thousands  of 
dollars  may  have  been  spent  in  gaining  what 
was   thought   to   be    a   good   education,   but 


Means  of  Discipline.  239 

there  was  no  education  at  all.  The  ability 
to  think  out  a  difficult  subject  has  not  been 
gained,  and  real  knowledge  approaching  com- 
pleteness has  not  been  gained. 

Now,  the  person  who  knows  one  or  two 
things  thoroughly  has  this  advantage,  that 
he  is  better  able  to  make  use  of  any  frag- 
mentary knowledge  which  he  may  possess, 
because  of.  the  vitahty  and  depth  there  is 
to  his  mind.  There  is  not  that  weakness 
about  it  which  characterizes  the  individual 
who  has  swept  over  a  great  surface ;  and 
consequently  the  energy  of  soul  extends  over 
and  gives  life  to  the  particles  of  information 
that  have  been  gained.  Thus  the  man  who 
has  mastered  one  or  two  subjects,  retains 
these  and  more  besides;  while  he  who  has 
glanced  at  a  vast  number  of  things,  soon 
beholds  them  sinking  out  of  his  consciousness. 

I  have  thus  stated  a  principle  relating  to 
intellectual  development,  which  I  want  to 
apply  to  religious  development. 

My  first  statement  is  this,  that  a  more 
substantial  character  will  be  formed  by  mas- 
tering one  or  two  of  the  leading  doctrines  of 
Christianity,  than  by  simply  having  a  slight 
acquaintance   with   very   many   of   the    doc- 


240  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

trines.  Suppose,  for  instance,  I  have  gained 
a  thorough  knowledge  touching  the  sinful 
condition  of  human  nature.  I  have  studied  for 
months  and  years  in  regard  to  the  fallen 
state  of  man,  not  merely  from  works  of 
theology,  but  from  the  Bible,  my  own  con- 
sciousness, and  from  observation.  I  have 
thus  come  to  see  how  profound  is  the  fact 
of  sin.  It  sinks  into  the  depths  of  the  soul. 
Its  roots  I  find  everywhere.  I  perceive  that 
there  is  not  a  faculty  but  that  it  touches. 
I  become  conscious  of  no  sacred  place  in 
the  human  spirit  that  is  free  from  its  malign 
power.  I  notice  also  with  what  wonderful 
tenacity  it  holds  its  own.  There  is  about  it 
an  enmity  and  determination  that  I,  single- 
handed,  can  not  overcome.  I  catch  phase 
after  phase  of  this  mighty  evil  of  souls.  I 
am  deeply  impressed  with  what  I  know. 
I  do  not  merely  perceive  intellectually  that 
man  is  destitute  of  holiness,  but  I  know  it 
from  conscious  experience.  I  can  truly  say 
that  by  nature  there  dwelleth  in  me  no  good 
thing.  I  am  lost;  absolutely  and  eternally 
lost. 

Now,    such   thorough   acquaintance,    as   is 
nere    presupposed   in    regard    to    the    fallen 


Means  of  Discipline.  241 

state  of  man,  will  throw  an  influence  over 
the  whole  sphere  of  Christian  doctrine  and 
life.  A  kind  of  thinking  has  been  started 
and  a  kind  of  feeling  has  been  awakened 
that  will  most  certainly  touch  a  vast  variety 
of  truths  and  actions.  The  thoroughness  in 
regard  to  the  fact  of  sin  will  call  for  a  pow- 
erful and  complete  system  of  redemption. 
Once  gain  this  knowledge  and  experience 
touching  personal  sin,  and  a  Christian  of 
vigorous  type  and  serious  determination  will 
be  sure  to  appear.  Compare  such  a  Chris- 
tian with  one  who  is  superficial  in  the  whole 
cast  of  his  theology,  and  a  difference  will 
be  seen  in  a  moment. 

Suppose,  again,  that  having  thoroughly 
studied  the  doctrine  of  sin,  the  man  now 
thoroughly  studies  the  nature  and  character 
of  God^  the  power  here  will  show  itself  very 
much  in  the  same  way.  Let  there  be  a  clear 
apprehension  of  the  divine  holiness,  and  it 
will  be  wonderful  how  that  will  move  and 
stimulate  the  soul.  Not  merely  will  one  be 
impressed  by  the  spotless  purity  of  God,  but 
this  purity  will  react  upon  the  soul  and  cause 
it  to  have  a  vision  of  its  own  sinfulness. 
Then,    too,    let    there    be    a   correct    under- 

16 


242  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

standing  of  the  divine  justice  and  the  divine 
mercy.  These  two  moral  attributes  will  not 
merely  awaken  feelings  in  regard  to  God, 
but  they  will  be  sure  to  awaken  feelings 
with  reference  to  the  soul  itself.  The  jus- 
tice will  alarm  the  guilty:  the  mercy  will 
encourage  the  penitent.  Indeed,  if  I  gain 
a  very  full  conception  of  the  divine  charac- 
ter, this  will  on  the  one  hand  give  me  an 
exalted  conception  of  Grod,  while  on  the 
other  hand  it  will  cause  me  to  see  my  own 
littleness  and  sin;  and  then,  branching  out 
from  these  two  conceptions,  I  will  be  led  to 
think  of  the  greatness  and  glory  of  the  re- 
demption of  Christ.  If  now  I  am  impressed 
by  the  eternity,  omnipotence,  and  knowl- 
edge of  God,  a  serious  thoughtfulness  will 
characterize  my  soul;  and  the  truth  that 
stands  before  me  for  acceptance  will  receive 
a  coloring  from  my  feelings. 

Thus  let  any  Christian  man  have  a  thor- 
ough acquaintance  with  the  doctrines  just 
stated,  and  it  will  be  astonishing  to  see 
how  he  will  go  beyond  all  those  religious 
persons  who  have  not  a  single  complete  view 
of  any  truth  of  the  divine  system.  The  sim- 
ple mastering  of  those  thoughts  that  relate 


Means  of  Discipline.  243 

to  God  and  man,  seems  to  open  up  the  whole 
scheme  of  hfe;  and  the  shght  knowledge  that 
was  possessed  in  regard  to  other  thmgs  has  a 
new  freshness  thrown  around  it:  the  whole 
being  receives  a  quickening  as  if  touched  by 
the  electric  currents  of  heaven. 

A  second  statement  which  I  now  make 
is  this,  that  by  thoroughness  in  one  or  two  re- 
ligious states  of  mind  we  have  the  best  method 
of  disciplining  the  soul  in  religion.  When 
I  look  at  professedly  Christian  people  and 
see  how  variously  they  act  in  given  circum- 
stances, I  can  not  very  well  explain  their 
different  courses  unless  I  go  upon  the  sup- 
position that  the  more  fliithful  among  them 
have  a  fixed  religious  cast  or  habit  of  mind, 
while  the  unfaithful  have  nothing  of  that 
kind  at  all.  I  am  very  sure  of  this  that  no 
man  will  ever  be  a  truly  good  man  unless 
he  has  wrought  into  his  soul  what  I  call  a 
religious  cast  or  habit;  a  kind  of  pure  bias 
that  sways  him,  a  sound  consciousness  that 
keeps  him.  If  he  is  simply  at  the  mercy  of 
old  principles  of  evil,  broken  in  upon  occa- 
sionally by  pure  thoughts  and  feelings,  then 
he  will  have  no  settled  drift  of  goodness. 

Now,  suppose  that  here  is  a  Christian  man 


244  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

who  has  gamed  by  repeated  efforts  a  con- 
sciousness of  that  which  is  infinite.  The 
consciousness  does  not  merely  extend  over 
an  hour  or  over  a  day,  and  then  disappear 
hke  the  sun  beneath  the  horizon,  but  it  re- 
mains essentially  a  steady  consciousness  of 
the  infinite.  This  Christian  may  be  taxed 
by  his  business,  so  that  he  seems  to  have 
no  time  to  think  of  any  thing  else,  yet,  the 
very  moment  he  rests  and  looks  within,  the 
consciousness  of  the  infinite  is  there.  The 
finite  he  knows  quite  well;  knows  how 
meagre  and  empty  it  is.  It  meets  not  the 
wants  of  an  immortal  spirit.  As  well  feed 
a  hungry  man  with  sand,  as  a  God-created 
soul  with  that  which  passes  away.  Millions, 
however,  live,  and  millions  die,  having  never 
found  any  thing  else  than  that  which  is  lim- 
ited. But  the  Christian  that  we  are  think- 
ing about  has  entered  into  the  region  of  the 
infinite.  He  lives  in  view  of  unbounded 
realities.  He  drinks  at  eternal  fountains. 
The  sun  that  illumines  his  being  never  sets, 
and  the  air  that  he  breathes  is  the  air  of 
God.  He  may  tarry  here  as  other  men 
tarry,  work  here  as  other  men  work,  smile 
and  weep  as  other  men  smile  and  weep;  yet 


Means  of  Discipline.  245 

the  cast  of  his  mind  turns  that  mind  to  an- 
other sphere;  he  communes  with  the  infinite, 
feels  at  home  there,  is  blessed  there.  This 
sense  of  the  infinite  modifies  all  this  man's 
life.  It  touches  and  turns  the  smallest  ac- 
tion as  well  as  the  greatest.  A  great  mag- 
net seems  to  draw  him  onward.  N'ow,  I 
say,  with  this  sense  of  the  infinite  quite 
complete,  although  it  be  but  one  phase  of 
the  mind,  it  really  commands  that  mind, 
gives  wonderful  meaning  to  it,  makes  the 
man  to  feel  that  he  is  a  stranger  among 
friends,  that  his  native  land  is  not  here, 
that  his  brothers  and  sisters  live  in  the  city 
of  God,  and  that  only  in  that  region  of  life 
will  he  be  at  rest,  with  purity  that  has  no 
stain.  Far  different  from  this  man  is  the 
other  one  who  is  in  what  may  be  called  a 
state  of  religious  mediocrity.  The  common- 
place runs  through  all.  There  is  a  field  with 
grass  and  flowers,  but  every  thing  is  stinted. 
No  streams  run  through  it  to  give  it  life. 
The  dew  of  night  only  falls  upon  it.  Not 
like  the  garden  of  God  does  it  seem,  al- 
though God  may  walk  through  it.  There  is 
no  tree  of  life  with  fruit  and  singing  birds; 
no  bower  of  bhss  where  the  angels  sit  down 


246  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

at    noon.     It    is    a    dry    and    weary    place 
Death   and   life    are    struggling.     Heaven   is 
not  near. 

Let  us  imagine  now  that  the  religious  man 
has  a  deep  consciousness  of  salvation.  Each 
moment  of  life  he  feels  the  need  of  this  sal- 
vation, and  each  moment  of  life  he  applies 
it  to  his  heart.  There  is  no  business  so  press- 
ing as  to  make  him  forget  it,  and  no  cares  so 
annoying  as  to  make  him  lose  sight  of  it.  He 
works  his  way  through  life  with  a  steady  eye 
fixed  on  the  great  redemption;  feeling  that 
time  is  nothing  without  it,  and  that  eternity 
is  all  because  of  it.  He  is  no  legalist  drilling 
himself  as  best  he  can;  straining  the  faculties 
that  sin  may  sicken  and  die;  lashing  the  pas- 
sions that  they  be  still;  polishing  the  con- 
science that  it  may  be  clear;  spurring  the 
will  that  it  may  rush  into  obedience.  No 
doubt  he  works  hard  and  works  long,  but 
all  his  power  comes  from  Christ.  His  whole 
character  may  be  called  redemptive.  He 
breathes  the  air  of  Calvary;  ra3^s  from  the 
cross  illuminate  his  soul;  the  Crucified  One 
inspires  him;  he  is  washed  in  the  blood  of 
the  Lamb.  His  disposition  may  be  called 
Christly,  and  his  life  through   all  the  hours 


Means  of  Discipline.  247 

is  a  Chris tly  life.  With  this  consciousness 
of  salvation  the  discipline  of  the  soul  is 
healthy.  The  method  instead  of  being  cir- 
cuitous, is  direct;  instead  of  being  manifold, 
it  is  single;  instead  of  being  natural,  it  is 
supernatural.  In  this  way  there  is  no  waste. 
Power  is  not  scattered  and  weakened:  it  is 
economized  and  concentrated. 

Again,  complete  self-forgetfulness  is  the  surest 
way  to  reach  completeness  of  character. 
There  may  be  prejudices  and  passions  in 
our  nature  that  seek  to  be  gratified,  a  strong 
disinclination  to  suffer,  a  number  of  thorny 
characteristics  which  bristle  out  at  the  trum- 
pet call  of  dut}^,  and  so  half  heartedly  we 
enter  upon  the  work  of  holiness.  Egoism 
stands  ever  in  our  way,  and  we  accomplish 
but  little.  The  orator  is  never  himself  till 
he  loses  sight  of  himself.  The  poet  is  never 
a  poet  until  he  is  carried  away  from  himself 
by  a  great  inspiration.  The  scholar  will 
never  accomplish  any  thing  unless  he  has 
the  power  of  abstraction.  ''In  a  military 
expedition  which  Socrates  made  along  with 
Alcibiades,  the  philosopher  was  seen  by  the 
Athenian  army  to  stand  for  a  whole  day  and 
a   night,   until   the    breaking    of  the    second 


248  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

morning,  motionless,  with  a  fixed  gaze, — - 
thus  showing  that  he  was  uninterruptedly 
engrossed  with  the  consideration  of  a  single 
object.'^  We  only  seem  to  live  when  we 
are  lost  in  truth,  lost  m  holiness,  lost  in 
God.  To  be  perpetually  thinking  of  self 
is  an  utter  degradation.  Why  can  not  I 
live  in  the  midst  of  a  benevolent  passion, 
seeking  only  the  good  of  the  men  who  are 
about  me  ?  Am  I  not  in  bondage  just  to 
the  extent  that  I  think  of  myself?  The 
misery  we  suffer  on  the  one  hand,  and  the 
happiness  we  crave  on  the  other,  seem  to  call 
forth  a  great  deal  of  self-consciousness.  We 
are  troubled  in  regard  to  what  men  think  of 
us.  Their  praises  we  value  too  highly:  their 
frowns  we  fear  too  much.  Would  it  not  be 
an  infinite  gain  to  escape  from  self  for  a 
single  day  ?  Would  it  not  be  happiness 
itself  to  concentrate  our  powers  upon  a  single 
immortal  soul,  trying  to  rescue  that  soul  from 
eternal  sin  and  eternal  death?  Are  there 
not  wondrous  thoughts  so  far-reaching  and 
valuable,  that  I  ought  to  lose  myself  in  their 
golden  radiance,  and  by  that  very  means  be 
transfigured?  Can  not  I  have  a  sentiment 
for  the  divine  so  all  embracing,  that  my  in- 


Means  of  Discipline.  249 

dividual  self  shall  sink  out  of  sight  by  reason 
of  the  greatness  of  the  Divine  Object  ?  What 
nobility  can  there  be  to  a  soul  that  is  per- 
petually occupied  about  its  own  little  affairs, 
forgetful  of  that  immensity  of  existence  that 
is  all  around?  Is  there  no  exalted  mission 
in  the  universe  of  God  that  may,  call  forth  the 
energies  of  the  human  spirit,  sinking  by  the 
very  intensity  of  the  actions  all  concern  of 
that  spirit  for  itself?  Was  it  not  the  meat 
and  drink  of  Christ  to  do  his  Father's  will  ? 
Is  it  not  said  of  him  that  he  ''pleased  not 
himself"?  Surely  the  way  to  discipline  the 
soul  in  piety,  is  to  reach  forth  to  the  attain- 
ment of  self-abnegation.  If  it  be  a  fact  that 
I  am  in  Christ  and  am  to  be  saved  by  him 
alone,  then  my  business  is  to  live  for  him.  I 
am  to  remember  the  Redeemer,  and  forget 
myself.  I  can  not  think  of  him  too  much,  nor 
think  of  myself  too  little.  If  Grod  and  heaven 
be  mine,  then  I  may  work  with  the  utmost 
self-forgetfulness. 

But  is  not  this  very  self-forgetfulness  a  diffi- 
cult state  to  reach  ?  It  is.  There  is  nothing 
great  in  souls  or  out  of  them  that  is  reached 
with  ease.  Sin  only  is  easy,  yet  it  is  not 
easy.     By  the  touch  of  a  match  a  ball  will  be 


250  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

sent  off  from  a  cannon,  but  not  by  a  mere 
volition  will  a  man  be  driven  away  from  him- 
self. Self-forgetfulness  is  an  art,  as  well  as 
a  holy  state  of  mind,  and  we  must  keep  try- 
ing to  practice  it  till  the  art  is  learned.  If 
mental  abstraction  can  be  cultivated,  so  can 
moral.  We  do  not  enter  upon  the  service  of 
Grod  with  sufficient  purpose.  Eternal  obliga- 
tions do  not  press  down  upon  us.  We  allow 
ourselves  too  much  freedom;  and  so  we  sin 
without  much  pain,  and  find  holiness  without 
much  joy.  If  we  set  the  mind  upon  the  busi- 
ness in  hand  and  hold  it  there  for  an  hour,  we 
shall  be  all  the  stronger  for  the  hour's  effort. 
Why  may  we  not  fix  a  habit  of  holy  attention, 
as  well  as  a  habit  of  self-attention  ?  Our  life 
is  too  hap-hazard,  too  much  a  matter  of 
course.  We  do  not  bind  ourselves  down  to 
duty,  determined  to  act  as  commanded. 

When  I  open  my  Bible  and  look  through 
it,  I  do  find  statements  relating  to  a  great 
variety  of  duties;  yet  I  find  also  the  com- 
pact and  condensed  method  of  drilling  the 
soul  through  governing  states  of  mind.  I 
notice,  for  instance,  that  Grod  is  made  the 
centre,  and  that  whether  I  eat,  or  drink,  or 
whatsoever   I    do,   all   must  be   done  to  his 


Means  of  Discipline.  251 

glory.  What  is  this  but  calhng  into  play  a 
great  generic  thought,  feeling,  and  purpose? 
Then,  again,  how  faith  is  emphasized;  mak- 
ing the  whole  Christian  life  to  be  connected 
with  it;  so  that  the  life  rises  or  falls,  as  the 
faith  is  strong  or  weak.  More  can  be  done 
for  the  discipline  of  the  soul  by  perfecting 
-faith  than  by  fixing  our  attention  on  thou- 
sands of  minute  acts.  In  all  false  religions 
the  mind  is  made  to  follow  after  a  round 
of  services, — many  prayers,  offerings,  pen- 
ances, fastings,  and  works, — all  exactly  spe- 
cified as  a  merchant  marks  his  goods  in  his 
store.  This  is  being  religious  by  a  kind  of 
spiritual  arithmetic:  the  only  way  that  man 
has  struck  upon  when  left  to  himself  The 
Bible  method,  while  it  never  loses  sight  of 
the  smallest  actions,  points  to  leading  move- 
ments of  soul  as  of  the  first  importance, 
because  by  these  the  whole  man  is  con- 
trolled. Let  there  be  a  profound  sense  of 
obligation,  a  state  of  pure  love,  a  penitential 
frame  of  mind,  or  any  other  spiritual  habits, 
and  the  work  is  done. 

John  Gerson,  the  Reformer  before  the 
Reformation,  was  a  man  of  great  parts  and 
great  humility.     On  the  day  before  his  death 


252  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

he  called  the  little  children  together  whom 
he  had  been  accustomed  to  teach,  and  re- 
quested them  to  offer  up  this  prayer  for  him 
when  he  was  gone:  ''  0  God,  my  Creator, 
have  mercy  on  thy  poor  servant,  John 
Grerson."  Not  even  satisfied  with  this,  he 
directed  that  there  should  be  carved  on  his 
tombstone  the  words:  ''Pray  for  poor  John 
Grerson."  However  unsound  this  may  be  in 
doctrine,  it  shows  that  the  state  of  unworthi- 
ness  was  a  leading  power  in  the  formation 
of  his  character.  The  likeness  of  Calvin,  as 
seen  in  the  old  editions  of  his  works,  has 
under  it  this  motto — ^'Prompte  et  sincere  ^^ — 
Promptly  and  honestly.  Here,  again,  there 
is  a  call  for  leading  moral  habits.  He  who 
has  a  soldier-like  promptness,  ready  for  ac- 
tion at  any  moment,  with  a  heart  that  is 
honest  in  the  sight  of  Grod — such  an  one 
will  be  able  to  train  himself  in  all  good 
things.  "When  Grotius  was  dying,  he  was 
asked  what  he  would  recommend  to  others. 
He  replied,  'Be  serious,  he  serious  J  ^^  This 
distinguished  man  knew  that  seriousness  was 
an  important  state  of  mind,  that  it  was  a 
kind  of  spiritual  atmosphere  surrounding  the 
soul,    and  so,   by  having   this,    a  great  deal 


Means  of  Discipline.  253 

would  follow  from  it  that  is  good  and  true. 
On  Herder's  monument  at  Weimar  were  in- 
scribed the  words — ''Light,  love,  lifeP  Such 
language  implies  a  luminous  state  for  the 
intellect,  and  a  loving  and  living  state  for 
the  affections  and  will. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

NON-VOLUNTARY  INFLUENCE  AS  AFFECTING  THE 
RELIGION  OF  CHRIST. 

TN  this  age  of  assertion  and  positive  effort, 
many  are  apt  to  think  that  there  is  no 
way  to  form  character  save  by  direct  means. 
This  is  a  great  mistake.  It  is  a  question 
whether  non-voluntary  influence  is  not  as 
powerful  as  the  influence  that  is  voluntary. 
''We  are  told  that  the  tone  of  a  bell  de- 
pends in  part  upon  the  imperceptible  vibra- 
tions of  the  atmosphere,  when,  in  the  mo- 
ments of  fusion,  the  metal  is  settling  in  the 
mould.  So  is  it  with  a  Christian  character. 
Powers  unknown  and  unthought  of,  and  cir- 
cumstances soon  and  long  forgotten,  and  oc- 
casions scarcely  observed  in  their  passing, 
may  give  to  it  that  tone  which  can  not  be 
described  and  the  cause  of  which  can  not 
be  defined,  and  yet  which  shall  distinguish 
it  forever."  Influence  is  a  very  mysterious 
agent;  working  many  a  time  in  a  very  mys- 


Non-voluntary  Influence.  255 

terious  way.  It  seems  to  be  a  kind  of  in- 
visible power,  set  to  work  by  the  Creator 
at  the  occupation  of  fashioning  souls. 

If  we  look  at  nature,  simply  acting  in  its 
own  sphere,  we  can  see  that  it  is  ever  send- 
ing forth  an  influence.  Take  the  ocean  that 
spans  the  globe;  viewing  it  not  merely  in 
the  abstract  as  a  body  of  water.  It  is  the 
source  of  vapor;  that  vapor  ascends;  it  moves 
round  the  globe  in  its  airy  chariot;  it  de- 
scends to  the  earth  in  the  form  of  rain:  the 
life  of  man  and  beast  depends  upon  it. 
Look  at  the  air  also  that  surrounds  the 
earth.  It  is  a  great  invisible  sea  many  miles 
deep.  The  clouds  like  ships  of  God  sail 
through  it;  like  celestial  islands  they  float 
over  it.  The  air  is  the  great  lung  of  the 
earth;  the  lung  that  is  filled  with  constant 
life;  the  lung  that  heaves  with  every  mo- 
ment of  time.  We  all  live  because  of  this 
ocean  of  air  that  is  ever  about  us.  Its  very 
fineness  seems  to  show  the  fineness  of  life. 
It  is  a  great  unseen  power,  just  as  life  is  a 
great  unseen  energy.  Take  light]  what  an 
ethereal  universe  that  is  !  It  seems  like  the 
empire  of  spirits;  like  the  garment  of  God; 
like    the    radiance    that   streams    forth   from 


256  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

the  Eternal.  How  gently  that  light  settles 
down  upon  us.  It  wakes  not  the  infant 
out  of  its  slumber;  it  reaches  the  small  eye 
of  the  insect  with  a  smile;  its  footsteps  are 
like  those  of  the  angels  when  they  pass 
through  among  us.  Take  away  that  light, 
and  we  should  have  nothing  but  death. 
Look  at  gravitation)  how  sweeping  that  is ! 
It  connects  itself  with  all  systems.  Each 
atom  of  matter  feels  its  power.  It  is  the 
silent  servant  of  God;  the  obedient  messen- 
ger of  the  Supreme.  That  messenger  comes 
to  us  all;  keeps  us  where  we  are;  holds  us 
by  a  power  from  which  we  can  not  escape. 
How  we  ourselves  are  influenced  by  scenes 
of  nature.  What  power  there  is  in  a  land- 
scape !  The  lofty  mountains  stretching  far 
away;  the  valleys  and  green  fields;  the  sol- 
emn forest  of  trees;  the  winding  streams; 
the  men  at  work,  and  the  cattle  feeding  on 
the  plain;  the  distant  village  with  its  curling 
smoke;  the  church  spire  pointing  to  heaven; 
the  railway  train  dashing  past;  the  birds 
gliding  through  the  air;  the  children  return- 
ing from  school, — such  a  landscape  impresses 
the  soul;  a  strange  power  comes  over  us;  we 
stand  and  look  around,  or  sit  down  that  we 


Non-voluntary  Influence.  257 

may  be  refreshed.  The  flower  with  its  sweet 
perfume,  and  the  bee  that  hmns  in  its  jour- 
ney of  pleasant  toil,  influence  us.  Then 
when  we  turn  our  eyes  to  the  glorious  sun- 
rise or  the  glorious  sunset,  we  seem  to 
think  that  heaven's  palace  gates  are  opened, 
and  that  the  chiefs  of  eternity  are  coming 
forth  that  they  may  spend  an  hour  in  wan- 
dering through  the  skies  of  time.  Angels 
seem  to  be  all  about  us.  They  are  sitting 
in  the  clonds  and  in  the  sun.  They  fly  past, 
or  walk,  or  stand  still,  as  the  case  may  be. 
They  smile  upon  us  in  the  hour  of  peace; 
their  heavenly  eye  rests  upon  us  in  the  hour 
of  sadness;  they  point  upward  to  the  great 
kingdom  of  eternal  joy. 

Suppose  we  are  standing  by  the  shore  of 
the  sea,  and  looking  off  upon  that  great 
presence.  What  an  influence  reaches  us ! 
We  behold  the  billows  as  they  foam  and 
break  asunder.  We  hear  them  dash  against 
the  rocks.  The  waves  roll  up  upon  the 
beach,  and  echo  as  they  roll.  That  sea  is 
an  image  of  the  race.  It  speaks  to  us  all. 
It  tells  us  what  we  are.  When  it  is  at  rest, 
and  no  wind  sweeps  it,  it  tells  us  of  fairer 
climes  and  a  serene  land.     Is  it  night,  and 

17 


25S  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

we  are  looking  forth  into  the  darkness  ?  We 
view  the  eternal  stars  as  they  sparkle  amidst 
the  immense  obscurity.  There  is  silence  all 
about  us.  Our  spirit  is  awed.  Longings 
that  go  beyond  the  stars,  that  enter  into  the 
region  of  the  eternities,  arise  in  our  God- 
created  souls.  We  stay  not  here.  Our  bod- 
ies only  are  here.  Our  immortal  spirits 
spread  their  wings  as  if  to  reach  an  infinite 
realm.  The  sound  of  a  waterfall  as  it  strikes 
the  ear  amidst  the  silence  of  our  being;  a 
solitary  tree  standing  after  all  the  other  trees 
have  been  cut  down;  a  moss-covered  ruin; 
a  cave  long  and  dark;  the  wail  of  the  mid- 
night wind;  a  fall  of  snow, — these  all  influ- 
ence the  soul.  Nature  awakens  our  emotions 
far  more  than  we  know. 

But  we  will  turn  our  attention  to  the 
human  side  of  things,  that  we  may  see 
how  non-voluntary  influence  affects  us  from 
that  quarter.  Take  the  fact  of  temperament 
to  begin  with.  I  suppose  there  are  minds 
that  are  really  approaching  the  Eternal 
Light,  who  yet  have  about  them  a  strange 
heaviness.  They  seem  to  be  carrying  a 
burden,  trembling  and  staggering  under  the 
weight  that  bears  them   down.     These   per- 


Non-voluntary  Influence.  259 

sons  are  aiming  to  reach  heaven  under 
great  disadvantages.  The  remedy  of  Christ 
never  exerts  its  full  power  in  their  soul. 
It  is  compelled  to  work  in  a  crooked  and 
circuitous  manner, — never  going  straight  to 
the  centre  of  evil  and  laying  it  low.  In  the 
midst  of  a  mysterious  sorrow,  these  chil- 
dren of  the  evening  wander  through  the 
years ;  hoping  in  Christ,  yet  afraid  to  hope ; 
believing,  yet  always  doubting.  They  are 
puzzled  and  perplexed  in  regard  to  their 
spiritual  condition.  Who  can  fail  to  see 
that  the  piety  of  John  Foster  received  a 
coloring  from  his  melancholy  temperament. 
He  dwelt  in  the  midst  of  the  twilight;  the 
full-orbed  sun  never  shining  down  upon 
him.  Professor  B.  B.  Edwards,  a  man  of 
fine  scholarship,  taste,  and  piety,  yet  self- 
distrustful,  pensive,  and  marching  on  to  the 
Infinite  Blessedness  hampered  by  a  hidden 
pain.  In  the  common  walks  of  Christian- 
ity, many  a  lonely  spirit  is  working  its  way 
towards  the  great  life,  crippled  and  shaded 
by  an  unfavorable  temperament.  There  are 
silent  souls,  who  hide  their  griefs,  who  toil 
and  travel  through  their  night  of  probation, 
not  knowing  but  that  they  may   reach  the 


26o  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

day  of  God  at  last.  Herodotus  mentions 
*'  a  stream  which  is  lukewarm  at  early 
dawn ;  at  the  time  when  the  market  fills  it 
is  much  cooler;  by  noon  it  has  grown  quite 
cold;  at  this  time,  therefore,  they  water 
their  gardens.  As  the  afternoon  advances, 
the  cold  goes  off,  till,  about  sunset,  the 
water  is  once  more  lukewarm;  still  the 
heat  increases,  and  at  midnight  it  boils  furi- 
ously. After  this  time  it  again  begins  to 
cool,  and  grows  less  and  less  hot  till  morn- 
ing comes.  This  spring  is  called  '  the  Foun- 
tain of  the  SunJ^^^  The  sombre  and  de- 
pressed followers  of  Christ  need  just  such 
a  fountain  in  their  heart,  that  with  it  they 
may  be  warmed  and  comforted  during  their 
cold  night  of  exile. 

There  is  another  class  of  pious  men, 
however,  who  are  favored  with  a  tempera- 
ment of  hope  and  gladness.  These,  as  com- 
pared with  the  kind  just  mentioned,  have 
a  stronger  faith,  a  lovelier  love,  and  a  view 
of  life  and  man  that  is  more  cheerful. 
They  seem  to  be  making  a  fine  passage  to 
the  King's  land.  They  appear  to  us  as 
heavenly    vessels    sailing    over    the    sea    of 

*  Eawlinson's  "Herodotus,"  vol.  iii.,  p.  131. 


Non-voluntary  Influence.         261 

peace,  the  soft  winds  bearing  them  onward, 
and  angehc  pilots  steering  them  safely  tow- 
ards the  eternal  ports  of  life.  There  is 
a  certain  attraction  about  such  Christians. 
They  make  pleasant  companions,  joyful  la- 
borers, encouraging  speakers.  "  Hopeful,'^ 
in  the  "Pilgrim's  Progress,"  belonged  to  this 
class.  He  could  see  the  city  of  God,  while 
Christian  could  not.  ''  He  had  much  ado 
to  keep  his  brother's  head  above  water; 
yea,  sometimes  he  would  be  quite  gone 
down,  and  then,  ere  a  while,  he  would  rise 
up  again  half  dead.  Hopeful  did  also  en- 
deavor to  comfort  him,  saying,  '  Brother,  I 
see  the  gate  and  the  men  standing  by  to 
receive  us ' ;  but  Christian  would  answer, 
'It  is  you,  it  is  you  they  wait  for;  for  you 
have  been  hopeful  ever  since  I  knew  you.'  '^ 
It  is  fair  to  believe  that  many  a  death-bed 
experience  has  been  clouded,  because  of  a 
temperament  that  was  sad;  and  many  a 
death-bed  experience  has  been  clear,  be- 
cause of  a  temperament  that  was  struck 
upon  the  key  of  joy.  There  are  Christians 
of  great  force  and  activity,  and  Christians 
who  are  backward  and  sluggish — each  class 
touched   and   turned   somewhat   by   temper- 


262  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

ament.  The  sanguine  and  the  cautious  are 
moved  upon  by  different  influences.  The 
brain  of  one  man  predominates,  and  he 
needs  exercise  and  society.  The  heart  of 
another  man  is  too  active,  and  he  needs 
rest.  Another  man  still  is  phlegmatic,  and 
he  needs  excitement. 

It  would  seem  almost  as  if  there  were  a 
kind  of  national  temperament;  as  if  a  whole 
people  were  modified  by  that  strange  power. 
When  we  look  at  the  different  Christian 
nations,  we  can  see  that  the  piety  of  one 
differs  from  the  piety  of  another.  One  peo- 
ple has  feeling  in  their  religion,  while  an- 
other has  thought;  one  has  form,  while  an- 
other has  freedom;  one  has  self-denial  and 
sternness,  while  another  has  pleasure  and 
elasticity.  It  seems  almost  as  if  there  were 
a  kind  of  physical  temperament  to  the  land 
where  each  people  dwells;  as  if  the  land 
itself  were  a  man;  a  man  of  mundane 
qualities;  and  influencing  souls  in  a  way 
that  is  peculiar.  We  naturally  think  that 
a  country  with  mountains  is  conducive  to 
human  liberty.  A  land,  the  chief  part  of 
which  is  bounded  by  the  ocean,  will  prompt 
to  trade  and  commerce. 


Non-voluntary  Influence.  263 

Leaving  the  temperaments  and  coming  to 
the  appetite  of  hunger,  it  is  truly  wonderful 
how  that  single  appetite  has  influenced  the 
soul  at  every  point.  The  intellect,  the  con- 
science, the  heart,  the  will,  are  all  modified 
by  that  sense  of  hunger  which  has  been 
placed  in  the  body.  A  certain  character 
has  been  stamped  upon  religion  by  this 
strange  power.  The  very  poor  and  the 
very  rich  are  not  usually  distinguished  for 
great  piety.  It  is  the  middle  class  who 
have  advanced  Christianity  in  the  world. 
It  would  seem  as  if  the  religion  of  men 
with  their  appetite  of  hunger,  and  the  re- 
ligion of  the  angels  without  that  appetite, 
must  differ  in  some  respects  from  each  oth- 
er. ' '  Hunger  is  the  most  powerful  stimulus 
to  activity,  and  hence  to  the  development 
of  the  spirit,  and  ever  since  the  entrance  of 
sin  into  the  race,  there  has  been  no  other 
so  sure  and  effectual  a  means  of  stirring  up 
the  spirit  out  of  its  slothful  indolence.  In 
the  present  state  of  man  hunger  is  not  only 
of  significance  for  the  individual;  it  is  a 
world -historical  power,  the  first  and  most 
persistent  stimulus  to  civilization."  * 

*  Wuttke,   "Christian  Ethics,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  66. 


264  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

A  human  countenance  of  a  certain  kind  may 
influence  us  for  good.  The  character  may  be 
epitomized  in  the  features.  These  features 
may  be  eloquent  with  love  and  faithfulness, 
and  so  they  may  impress  us  with  great 
power.  We  are  looking  at  a  picture,  one 
of  the  pictures  of  God,  and  divine  thoughts 
reach  us  from  every  part  of  it.  Celestial 
influences  steal  into  the  heart,  and  fashion 
it  in  a  way  peculiar  to  themselves.  We 
are  very  often  awed  by  a  human  presence; 
rendered  serious  by  it;  brought  to  a  com- 
plete stand  by  its  magic  power.  The  silent 
ministry  of  the  eye  may  awaken  in  us  emo- 
tions of  grief,  pity,  and  courage. 

The  Bacchiadae,  who  at  one  time  were 
the  governing  race  in  Corinth,  ordered  ten 
persons  to  go  and  put  to  death  the  infant 
child  of  Action.  "The  men  went  to  Petra, 
and  entered  into  Action's  house,  and  there 
asked  if  they  might  see  the  child;  and  Labda, 
who  knew  nothing  of  their  purpose,  but 
thought  their  inquiries  arose  from  a  kind- 
ly feeling  towards  her  husband,  brought 
the  child,  and  laid  him  in  the  arms  of  one 
of  them.  Now  they  had  agreed  by  the  way 
that  whoever  first  got  hold  of  the  child  should 


Non-voluntary  Influence.  265 

dash  it  against  the  ground.  It  happened, 
however,  by  a  providential  chance,  that  the 
babe,  just  as  Labda  put  him  into  the  man's 
arms,  smiled  in  his  face.  The  man  saw  the 
smile,  and  was  touched  with  pity,  so  that 
he  could  not  kill  it;  he  therefore  passed  it 
on  to  his  next  neighbor,  who  gave  it  to  a 
third;  and  so  it  went  through  all  the  ten 
without  any  one  choosing  to  be  the  mur- 
derer. The  mother  received  her  child  back, 
and  the  men  went  out  of  the  house,  and 
stood  near  the  door,  and  there  blamed  and 
reproached  one  another;  chiefly  however  ac- 
cusing the  man  who  had  first  had  the  child 
in  his  arms,  because  he  had  not  done  as 
had  been  agreed  upon."  *  Surely  here  is 
a  fine  instance  of  non- voluntary  influence. 
Rough  men  were  hindered  from  carrying  out 
a  murderous  plan  by  the  smile  of  a  helpless 
infant.  Many  a  time  souls  are  checked  and 
changed  by  agencies  which,  in  themselves, 
seem  to  have  no  value. 

There  is  a  passive  side  in  religion  which 
afiects  us  favorably.  Here  is  a  pious  man 
who  is  weak,  sickly,  absolutely  poor,  and 
confined  at  home;  yet  what  an  influence  he 

*  Rawlinson's  "Herodotus,"  vol.,  iii.,  p.  244. 


266  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

sends  forth !  Mark  his  submission:  no  com- 
plaint is  ever  heard.  He  feels  that  he  is  in 
the  hands  of  Perfect  Wisdom.  Contentment 
is  the  atmosphere  he  breathes.  Peace  is  en- 
throned in  his  spirit.  Humility  clothes  him 
with  a  garment  like  to  that  of  the  angels. 
Gentleness  gives  character  to  his  whole  be- 
ing. Reverence  solemnizes  his  soul.  Hope 
causes  him  to  be  radiant  with  the  glories 
of  heaven.  This  person  does  but  little,  says 
but  Httle;  yet  how  much  of  holy  influence 
streams  forth  from  him !  His  character,  tak- 
en in  its  totality,  is  a  great  power:  virtue 
goes  out  from  it.  He  is  a  representative  of 
spiritual  life,  and  that  life  travels  forth  on 
its  mission  of  love. 

Religion  also  is  shaped  by  laios  of  associa- 
tion. One  man  looks  to  form,  color,  and 
circumstance;  and  so  his  religion  is  hteral, 
outward,  and  showy.  Another  man  looks 
to  cause  and  effect;  and  his  type  of  piety 
is  substantial  and  sanctifying.  Another  per- 
<  son  fastens  his  eye  on  time  and  place;  and 
he  is  exact  and  somewhat  artificial.  Another 
person  still  is  affected  by  resemblances;  and 
he  is  imitative  and  superficial.  The  more 
we  penetrate  into  the  spiritual  realm,  mak- 


Non-voluntary  Influence.  267 

ing  our  home  in  the  midst  of  the  divine, 
our  laws  of  association  will  be  finer,  and 
the  character  which  they  form  will  be  more 
finished.  It  was  the  remark  of  a  painter 
that  no  one  could  draw  a  tree,  unless  in 
some  sense  he  became  a  tree.  It  will  be 
very  difficult  for  us  to  fashion  the  soul  in 
highest  purity,  if  suggestions  are  crawling 
over  us  from  surrounding  wickedness;  whilst 
on  the  other  hand,  if  our  abode  is  with  the 
Son  of  God  we  are  transformed  into  his 
likeness. 

See  how  non- voluntary  influence  works 
around  a  good  home.  This  is  really  the 
moulding  power  in  families.  It  is  not  mere- 
ly the  direct  effort  that  is  put  forth  to  bene- 
fit the  young,  not  the  rules  that  are  laid 
down  with  great  care,  not  the  threatening 
and  the  penalty;  but  it  is  the  spiritual  atmos- 
phere of  the  household  which  chiefly  forms 
character.  There  is  a  life  which  comes  from 
the  collective  moral  forces  of  the  parents, 
and  that  life  touches  the  heart  and  con- 
science of  the  children.  The  very  tone  of 
the  voice,  the  way  of  doing  things,  influence 
the  mind.  There  is  law  in  such  a  family; 
but  how  does  it  work?     The  law  is  a  pres- 


268  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

ence,  and  each  child  is  awed  by  it,  governed 
by  it,  and  made  what  it  ought  to  be  by  it. 
This  reign  of  law  is  like  a  sun  shining  for- 
ever; its  golden  light  always  there,  in  the 
midst  of  which  one  may  walk;  growing  al- 
ways with  each  moment  and  day  as  children 
of  light;  the  understanding  and  character 
pure  as  the  light.  Living  thus,  the  child  is 
bathed  as  in  a  celestial  fountain.  It  ad- 
vances towards  heaven  as  if  guardian  an- 
gels were  ever  around  it.  There  need  not 
be  any  thing  rough  or  fierce  about  law.  It 
may  be  like  the  dew  that  falls  upon  the 
flower;  like  the  music  that  falls  upon  the 
ear;  like  the  light  that  falls  upon  the  eye. 
The  law  may  seem  like  a  hymn  of  the  an- 
gels, chanted  along  the  days  of  life;  a  law 
made  of  love,  covered  with  the  white  robes 
of  purity;  a  queen  of  righteousness  throned 
in  the  homes  of  men,  ruling  over  them  with 
a  sceptre  of  peace. 

Many  a  soul  is  also  polished  and  purified 
by  submitting  to  the  painful  ministry  of 
trouble,  ''Old  travellers  mention  a  wondrous 
eastern  tree,  which  by  daylight  stands  leaf- 
less and  flowerless,  but  after  sun-down  puts 
forth    countless    white    blossoms,    shining   in 


Non-voluntary  Influence.  269 

the  darkness  like  the  drops  of  a  silver  foun- 
tain.'' During  the  dark  hours  of  life  we  are 
to  be  clothed  with  beauty  like  that  strange 
tree.  There  are  afflictions  which  startle  the 
spirit  of  man,  search  it,  render  it  thoughtful, 
make  it  humble.  They  affect  all  the  emo- 
jtions, — the  earthly,  the  moral,  and  the  re- 
ligious. They  strike  the  understanding,  the 
reason,  the  imagination,  and  the  memory. 
They  put  in  motion  aspirations  that  were 
dull,  and  cause  them  to  leap  towards  un- 
bounded realities.  They  touch  the  soul  at 
its  centre,  and  call  forth  into  the  light  im- 
ages that  were  wandering  through  darkened 
nails  and  sub-conscious  chambers.  "In  the 
Black  Forest  lies  a  lake,  bordered  deep  with 
lilies.  As  the  traveller  gazes  on  that  white 
waving  margin  of  the  dark  waters,  he  is  told 
that  those  lilies,  on  the  last  moonlighted 
midnight,  assumed  their  spirit-forms, — were 
white-robed  maidens,  dancing  on  the  mere; 
till  at  a  warning  voice,  they  resumed,  ere 
daybreak,  the  shape  of  flowers."  Around 
every  lake  of  bitterness  are  found  beautiful 
lilies.  During  the  night  of  trial  they  are 
transformed  into  angels  of  comfort.  A  legend 
says  that  when  Eve  had  broken  the   divine 


2/0  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

command  "she  wept  bitterly;  and  her  tears, 
which  flowed  into  the  ocean,  were  changed 
into  costly  pearls,  while  those  which  fell  on 
the  earth  brought  forth  all  beautiful  flowers.'^ 
A  chastened  penitence  is  always  followed  by 
pearls  and  flowers.  There  are  souls  that 
sleep  till  a  great  sorrow  awakes  them.  The 
night  blooming  cereus,  after  a  long  growth, 
sends  forth  its  flower  at  night,  closing  it  be- 
fore sunrise.  So  some  men,  after  years  of 
hidden  development,  bloom  forth  in  the  dark- 
ness, and  that  but  once.  They  speak  their 
word,  or  perform  their  act,  and  then  depart. 
Their  noblest  work  was  done  during  the  hour 
of  affliction.  They  flourish,  and  then  fallj 
shine,  and  sink  to  be  seen  not  again. 

What  an  influence  comes  to  us  from  death 
— the  death  of  a  friend !  Here  there  is  no 
life,  no  action,  the  soul  even  is  gone,  the 
dead  body  is  all  that  remains;  and  yet  there 
is  influence.  As  we  look  at  the  pale  face, 
the  eyes  closed  forever,  the  lips  that  utter  no 
sound,  there  is  influence.  Why  do  we  im- 
print the  kiss  on  the  cold  cheek,  and  drop 
the  tear  on  the  lifeless  body,  if  there  is  no 
influence  ?  Yes,  there  is  an  influence  that 
is  tender  and  touching:   life  seems  to  come 


Non-voluntary  Influence.  271 

from  death.  The  influence  of  an  infant  that 
stays  with  us  a  few  days,  and  then  dies,  is 
even  very  great.  The  young  stranger  never 
spoke  to  us  while  here.  It  Hved  to  a  great 
extent  a  hidden  hfe.  It  just  began  to  smile, 
began  to  detect  a  particular  voice,  and  then 
it  died.  A  world  of  emotion,  however,  it 
has  awakened  in  the  soul.  Sleeping  in  its 
little  coffin,  it  seems  more  precious  than 
when  it  slept  in  its  little  cradle.  Its  death 
is  a  far  greater  event  than  was  its  birth. 
Many  voices  echo  out  of  its  silence;  and  the 
darkness  of  death  leads  the  mind  away  to  a 
light  that  is  shining  in  a  far-off  land.  In 
passing  through  a  forest,  your  attention  may 
be  arrested  by  a  beautiful  tree,  sending  forth 
many  branches,  the  whole  finely  propor- 
tioned; and  at  the  foot  of  it  a  little  flower 
may  be  seen,  nestling  close  up  beside  it 
as  it  were  for  protection.  A  terrible  gale 
strikes  the  tree,  and  overturns  it  and  the 
flower  together.  They  both  lie  withered  in 
the  dust.  So  have  I  seen  a  mother  and  her 
infant  fall  by  the  hand  of  death.  They  were 
both  placed  in  the  same  coffin,  laid  in  the 
same  grave,  to  sleep  there  till  the  morning 
of  the  last  great  day. 


2/2  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

0  Death!  how  thou  hast  affected  men. 
How  many  hearts  thou  hast  broken !  Thou 
hast  no  compassion.  Thy  nature  is  of  steel, 
cold  and  sharp.  We  can  not  plead  with 
thee;  can  use  no  bribe;  tears  soften  thee 
not.  All  men  fear  thee.  Thou  art  ''the 
king  of  terrors."  How  we  shrink  from  thine 
approach !  We  know  not  what  thou  art. 
'Not  till  thy  icy  hand  is  laid  upon  us  shall 
we  understand  thee.  We  have  conversed 
with  no  one  who  has  entered  thine  iron 
gate,  who  has  looked  into  eternity,  and  who 
has  come  back  to  us  again  with  tidings  of 
the  viewless  land.  One  by  one,  sad  and 
anxious,  the  whole  race  must  follow  thee. 
There  are  men  who  assume  to  care  not  for 
thee.  They  are  brave  in  their  madness. 
When  thy  shadow  Mis  upon  them,  they  will 
be  seized  with  an  inward  trembling.  It  is 
not,  0  Death,  that  thou  art  going  to  take 
the  soul  out  of  the  body  which  so  alarms 
us,  but  it  is  the  dread  possibility  that  we 
may  be  doomed  forever.  Shall  I  be  lost,  or 
saved  ?  Prepared  or  unprepared,  I  must  go 
when  thou  comest.  In  the  very  midst  of  a 
prayer  thou  wilt  seize  me.  In  life  I  must 
be    ready   for   thee.     In    Christ   I    am    safe. 


Non-voluntary  Influence.  273 

To  the  pious  man  thou  art  simply  the  dark 
entrance  that  leads  to  the  palace  of  God. 

What  an  influence  reaches  us  as  we  walk 
through  a  graveyard]  especially  a  graveyard 
where  our  acquaintances  and  friends  are 
sleeping  till  the  last  great  day.  We  stand 
before  one  grave  after  another;  see  the  flow- 
ers that  have  been  planted  there  by  the 
hand  of  affection;  read  the  words  on  the 
tombstones :  an  influence  steals  into  the  soul, 
into  the  heart,  into  the  most  sacred  place 
of  the  heart.  All  the  various  styles  of  sym- 
bolism— the  broken  pillar,  the  cross,  the 
crown — impress  us.  Here  is  the  sculptured 
figure  of  a  man  with  one  hand  resting  upon 
the  stock  of  an  anchor,  and  the  other  point- 
ing to  heaven — we  are  reminded  of  faith  and 
hope.  Even  the  grave  that  is  marked  by 
no  memento  of  any  kind,  affects  us.  All 
over  the  silent  city  of  the  dead  there  are 
voices  eloquent  with  life  and  with  love; 
voices  that  speak  to  the  soul,  conversing 
with  the  emotions,  and  with  the  sighs  that 
wander  away. 

Non-voluntary  influence  springs  from  the 
inevitable.  However  much  we  may  glorify 
freedom,  and  however  thankful  we  may  be 

18 


274  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

that  we  are  characterized  by  it,  there  is  yet 
a  great  realm  that  is  stamped  with  necessity. 
Events  are  occurring  day  by  day  which  are 
entirely  beyond  our  range  of  power.  We 
see  them  rolling  over  the  sea  of  time  like 
waves;  as  winds  they  sweep  in  all  directions; 
as  meteoric  stones  they  fly  through  our  at- 
mosphere. There  are  providential  move- 
ments that  we  can  not  control.  They  come 
upon  us  without  our  choice.  We  speak  of 
fate  as  having  no  existence,  and  yet  it  holds 
us  fast.  We  are  bounded  on  every  hand. 
We  can  not  extend  life  so  as  to  match  with 
our  desires.  When  the  moment  comes  it 
ends.  Weakness  and  frailty  can  not  be 
banished  from  the  earth.  There  is  no  eter- 
nal youth  here;  no  gladsome  joys  that  have 
no  grief;  no  summer  loves  without  their 
winter  of  care.  There  is  a  nemesis  along 
our  path.  A  deity  of  retribution  meets  us. 
We  are  in  the  midst  of  a  moral  system,  and 
out  of  it  we  can  not  escape.  There  are 
phases  of  character  that  seem  like  nature 
itself:  habits  of  sin  fixed  as  eternity;  habits 
of  holiness  that  sway  the  mind  forever  like 
the  rulers  of  God.  How  inevitable  also  is 
the  soul  itself     It  never  can  die.     The  most 


Non-voluntary  Influence.  275 

unhappy  spirit  can  not  annihilate  itself. 
Live  we  must  forever  and  ever;  and  live 
just  where  character  places  us.  What  won- 
drous influences  fall  upon  us  from  the  inev- 
itable realm ! 

If  we  lift  our  eyes  and  view  the  whole 
world  of  man,  trying  to  realize  the  exact 
state  of  things  upon  this  earth,  it  is  evident 
that  a  great  river  of  non-voluntary  influence 
is  moving  around  the  globe  every  instant  of 
time,  and  equally  evident  that  not  one  per- 
son in  a  thousand  thinks  of  this  astonishing 
fact.  When  all  the  individual  wills  have 
spent  their  force  upon  their  multitude  of 
acts,  there  is  away  beyond  these  acts  a 
power  that  has  resulted  from  them,  and  that 
power  is  non-voluntary  in  its  nature.  Influ- 
ences are  moving  round  us  from  all  quarters, 
yet  we  can  not  marshal  off  these  influences 
into  separate  lines,  and  trace  them  back  to 
distinct  human  wills.  We  are  simply  in  the 
midst  of  exceedingly  fine  potencies,  but 
whence  they  come  and  whither  they  go,  we 
can  not  tell.  All  we  know  is,  that,  in  a 
number  of  cases,  non-voluntary  influence  is 
a  remote  descendant  of  that  which  was  vol- 
untary,— power  is  travelling   long  after  the 


2/6  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

will  has  left  it,  and  that  isolated  and  frag- 
mentary power  is  working  upon  souls  in  a 
way  that  is  mysterious. 

Here,  for  instance,  is  a  literature  that  has 
been  formed  by  the  mind  of  man.  That  lit- 
erature, apart  from  the  reading  of  it,  and 
simply  by  its  existence,  is  sending  forth  an 
influence.  The  mere  fact  that  I  know  that 
such  an  amount  of  mental  force  is  embodied 
in  millions  of  volumes,  is  a  power  that 
touches  my  spiritual  nature.  I  feel  as  if  my 
consciousness  were  greatly  extended  by  the 
mere  existence  of  such  untold  wealth.  The 
impression  which  I  gain  is  not  simply  from 
the  few  pages  which  I  read  in  the  course  of 
a  lifetime :  I  am  affected  by  the  simple  mag- 
nitude of  the  literature  itself.  Here,  again, 
is  a  body  that  we  call  the  Christian  Church. 
An  influence  goes  out  from  this  Christian 
Church  entirely  separate  from  the  vohtions 
of  its  difl"erent  members.  Viewed  simply  as 
a  commonwealth  of  pious  men,  it  is  impress- 
ing minds  and  hearts  the  world  over.  Even 
those  who  have  never  looked  upon  this  di- 
vine-human kingdom,  but  have  learned  of 
its  existence,  are  influenced  as  a  matter  of 
fact.     The   indirect  power   of  Christianity  in 


Non-voluntary  Influence.  277 

a  world  like  this,  is  immense.  It  reaches  us 
many  a  time  when  we  know  it  not;  making 
us  to  feel  fresher  than  we  were  before,  and 
sending  thoughts  through  our  minds  that 
lead  us  to  heaven.  It  seems  almost  as  if,  at 
times,  there  were  spiritual  influences  in  the 
air.  We  are  solemnized  as  by  some  hidden 
power,  and  walk  softly  as  if  on  the  borders 
of  the  unknown  land. 

And  then  when  we  think  of  Christ  during 
the  long  centuries  since  he  left  us,  it  seems 
as  if  he  were  still  here.  Surely  his  shadow 
is  walking  through  all  the  earth,  and  the  echo 
of  his  voice  hngers  with  us  through  aU  the 
years.  In  the  busy  crowd  or  in  the  deep  se- 
clusion of  our  being  he  seems  to  be  at  our 
side,  uttering  words  of  peace,  or  tracking 
his  way  to  the  world  from  which  he  came. 
In  the  night  of  our  weeping  he  scatters  the 
darkness  and  the  grief;  filling  our  cup  from 
the  golden  goblet  of  his  love;  leaving  bene- 
dictions to  gladden  us  when  he  is  gone. 
There  is  life  in  all  our  dwellings  and  along 
the  great  wastes  of  the  sea  that  has  come 
from  him.  We  enter  no  region  where  his 
power  is  not  felt.  The  perfume  of  his  seam- 
less robe  lingers  with  us  all,  and  our  steps 


2/8  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

are  the  faster  because  he  has  travelled  the 
same  way  before  us.  The  breezes  of  heaven 
seem  to  have  been  fanning  our  fevered  souls 
ever  smce  he  left  us,  and  the  radiance  of  God 
has  never  departed  from  our  sky  during  all 
the  time  he  has  been  away. 

Christ  and  Christianity  are  thoughts,  pow- 
ers, pictures.  They  face  man  as  beauty  does; 
enter  into  him  as  life  enters;  smile  upon  him 
as  the  sun  the  trees  of  winter.  There  is  no 
excellence  that  is  brighter  than  they  are,  nor 
any  joy  that  equals  their  gladness.  Our  in- 
finite aspirations  and  wants,  our  sins  and  our 
sadness,  find  in  them  worlds  of  relief.  They 
surely  come  to  us  from  above,  as  if  the  glory 
of  beginningless  ages  were  about  them;  their 
speech  the  language  of  Eternal  Goodness, 
uttered  to  hearts  that  have  no  peace.  The 
silk-worm  and  the  seraph,  the  flower  and  the 
star,  seem  to  be  images  of  their  heavenly 
power. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

CONCEALED  GREATNESS  AN  ADVANCED  PHASE  OF 
THE  RELIGION  OF  CHRIST. 

nnHERE  are  three  grades  of  pious  men: 
the  inferior,  the  medium,  and  the  supe- 
rior. The  inferior  class  are  struck  with 
feebleness.  The  piety  seems  as  if  it  were 
diseased;  seems  as  if  it  were  consumptive. 
This  low  type  of  spiritual  life  is  like  the 
low  type  of  bodily  life  that  we  sometimes 
witness.  Here  is  a  person  who  is  not  able 
to  walk;  the  nervous  energy  is  gone;  there 
is  no  appetite.  Sometimes  a  child  is  born 
in  such  a  state  of  weakness  that  it  is  doubtful 
whether  it  can  live.  It  lives,  however,  for 
years;  but  that  is  all.  There  are  Christians 
who  seem  to  be  just  alive,  and  no  more. 
They  are  a  kind  of  religious  zoophites. 

The  medium  class  of  pious  men  are  those 
who  illustrate  the  common  Christianity  of  the 
day.  This  form  of  life  is  mixed.  There  is 
spirituality  and  worldliness,  benevolence  and 


28o  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

selfishness,  humility  and  pride,  faith  and 
unbelief,  love  and  hatred,  hope  and  fear, 
watchfulness  and  carefulness,  Sabbath  keep- 
ing and  Sabbath  breaking,  temperance  and 
intemperance,  courage  and  cowardice.  The 
natural  man  fixing  his  eye  on  the  dark 
features  of  this  religion  is  led  to  doubt. 
We  condemn  all  that  is  bad  about  it.  Sin 
can  not  be  justified.  Still  we  must  admit 
that  there  is  goodness — only  the  goodness 
is  imperfect.  The  medium  Christian  is  not 
by  any  means  satisfied  with  himself;  he  is 
somewhat  ashamed;  and  yet,  it  must  be 
confessed,  he  does  not  become  much  better. 
At  the  end  of  forty  or  fifty  years  we  very 
frequently  see  the  same  inconsistent  being. 
Sin  must  be  a  terrible  evil,  that  it  thus 
holds  and  hampers  souls. 

The  superior  class  of  pious  men  are  the 
select  few.  They  are  the  men  of  concealed 
greatness.  The  words  that  follow  will  point 
them  out. 

"The  theory  of  signatures  proceeded  on 
the  supposition  that  every  creature  bears, 
in  some  part  of  its  structure  or  outward  con- 
formation, the  indication  of  the  character  or 
virtue  inherent  in  it — the   representation,  in 


Concealed  Greatness.  281 

fact,  of  its  idea  or  soul."  This  is  almost  a 
fancy.  There  are  men,  for  instance,  who 
have  a  greater  amount  of  intellectual  power 
than  they  seem  to  have.  No  index  points 
out  their  mental  ability.  A  treasure  is  hid- 
den in  the  soul  which  no  creature  beholds. 
We  can  not  tell  what  they  are  by  a  first 
acquaintance.  N^ot  even  by  an  acquaintance 
that  extends  over  months  can  we  understand 
them.  They  have  no  inclination  to  dazzle, 
to  astonish,  to  overpower  ;  they  may  dazzle, 
may  astonish,  may  overpower ;  but  to  try 
to  do  these  things  is  not  in  harmony  with 
their  minds.  Inferior  characters  will  gener- 
ally make  the  most  ado.  There  are  too  many 
wise  men  without  wisdom,  too  many  good  men 
without  goodness,  too  many  great  men  without 
greatness.  It  is  the  characteristic  of  a  small 
mind  to  appear  greater  than  it  is,  while  it  is 
the  characteristic  of  a  great  mind  to  appear 
smaller  than  it  is.  A  well-endowed  human 
spirit  has  compass  and  depth.  It  spreads 
over  years,  detects  causes,  searches  for  prin- 
ciples. There  are  persons  who  have  such  a 
reach  of  thought,  and  the  tiiought  is  so  fine 
and  ethereal,  that  only  a  favored  few  can  per- 
ceive it.     They   are    working  out  towards   a 


282  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

region  that  is  seldom  visited;  are  bordering 
upon  a  sphere  which,  to  a  common  mind,  is 
the  same  as  absolute  nothingness.  There  is 
a  species  of  intuition  in  some  souls,  a  certain 
divineness,  as  if  a  very  bright  spark  of  the 
Infinite  were  illuminating  their  being,  and 
they  were  shut  off  in  a  kind  of  royal  seclusion 
like  stars  in  a  new  sky.  Persons  have  ap- 
peared who  were  ahead  of  their  age,  and  who 
consequently  were  not  known  when  they 
lived.  In  fact  many  a  jewel  is  not  discovered 
until  it  is  washed  upon  the  shores  of  eternity. 
Only  the  light  that  is  everlasting  can  point  it 
out. 

There  are  a  number  of  things  that  may 
cast  a  veil  over  mental  greatness.  The  very- 
looks  of  the  person  may  be  against  him.  The 
body  is  not  attractive.  Thought  is  not  seen 
in  the  countenance.  The  eye  is  not  expres- 
sive. The  forehead  is  not  what  is  called  in- 
tellectual. The  sound  of  the  voice  is  harsh, 
and  not  fitted  to  express  fine  emotions.  The 
words  may  also  be  at  fault.  The  style  may 
not  have  been  sufficiently  cultivated.  Then 
the  individual  may  have  a  certain  awkward- 
ness. A  native  bashfulness  may  have  run 
to   an  extreme.     The   manner  is   not  at  all 


Concealed  Greatness.  283 

pleasing.  In  addition  to  these,  there  may 
be  ill  health  and  poverty.  By  such  means 
the  soul  is  in  a  state  of  eclipse.  The  real 
man  is  not  seen.  It  would  not  be  strange 
if  he  should  sink  in  his  own  estimation,  as 
well  as  sink  in  the  estimation  of  others. 

There  are  men  who  have  a  deeper  flow 
of  piety  than  they  appear  to  have.  You 
may  mingle  with  a  hundred  individuals  dur- 
ing a  single  day,  and  it  may  be  difficult  to 
tell  in  what  respect  they  differ  morally, 
though  there  is,  in  fact,  a  vast  difference 
between  them.  Many  things  are  not  visibly 
changed  by  the  possession  of  piety.  You 
behold  the  thoroughly  Christian  man  attend- 
ing to  his  business,  very  much  as  another 
man  is  attending  to  his  who  is  not  a  Chris- 
tian. One  works  as  hard  as  the  other,  as 
long  as  the  otlier,  as  well  as  the  other.  In 
buying  and  selhng  there  may  be  no  percept- 
ible difference  between  them.  Profits  and 
prices  may  be  very  much  alike.  The  rise 
and  fall  of  the  market,  the  principles  of 
commercial  justice,  a  certain  business  judg- 
ment, may  influence  each  one  in  the  same- 
way;  so  that  you  can  not  very  well  dis- 
tinguish   the    religious    man    from    the    one 


284  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

who  is  not  religious.  The  converted  man 
has  to  pay  his  debts  in  the  same  way  that 
the  unconverted  man  has  to  pay  his;  simple 
honesty  belongs  to  both.  There  is  a  great 
deal  of  conversation  also  that  must  be  car- 
ried forward  on  the  same  level;  so  that  to 
hear  a  Christian  talk  in  certain  circumstances, 
is  just  like  hearing  one  talk  who  is  not  a 
Christian.  When  a  man  becomes  a  follower 
of  Christ,  there  must  be  many  things  which, 
to  the  outward  eye,  seem  to  be  done  in  the 
same  way  that  they  were  formerly  done. 
The  regenerated  man  salutes  you  just  as  he 
has  done  for  years;  says  good  evening  or 
good  morning  with  the  same  tone  of  voice. 
He  speaks  of  the  weather  as  hot  or  cold, 
cloudy  or  clear,  pleasant  or  unpleasant,  as 
he  has  always  done.  He  wears  clothes,  eats 
food,  lives  in  a  house,  sleeps,  visits  friends, 
as  he  did  before  he  thought  any  thing  about 
religion.  The  superficial  critic  may  say  that 
Christianity  is  a  mere  name,  for  the  man 
who  professes  to  believe  in  it  is  just  like 
other  men.  Like  other  men  he  is,  in  many 
respects.  This  we  wish  understood.  For  the 
want  of  understanding  a  fact  so  plain,  there 
is  great  confusion.     Religion  does  not  trans- 


Concealed  Greatness.  285 

form  a  human  being  into  an  angel.  We  can 
not  always  tell  a  Christian  the  moment  we 
see  him,  just  as  we  can  not  always  tell  a 
poet  or  philosopher  the  moment  we  see  him. 
I  do  not  know  but  that  persons  carry  about 
with  them  the  thought  that  if  they  can  not 
recognize  a  Christian  at  once,  then  there  is 
nothing  in  Christianity.  They  evidently  want 
to  see  some  wonderful  being,  a  kind  of  sec- 
ond Adam,  a  perfect  man;  and  because  they 
see  no  such  personage  they  are  disappointed. 
*'Show  us  a  sign  from  heaven  and  we  will 
believe,"  is  their  demand.  We  have  no  sign 
of  that  kind. 

Let  it  be  distinctly  known  that  the  Chris- 
tian is  a  veritable  man.  He  struggles  and 
weeps,  is  afflicted  and  suffers,  just  like  mil- 
lions of  other  men.  That  there  is  a  cura- 
tive element  in  his  soul,  we  fully  believe; 
that  that  curative  element  will  one  day  come 
off  triumphant,  we  can  not  deny;  but  the 
remedy  is  out  of  sight,  and  the  totality  of 
its  effects  can  not  be  seen  by  looking  on 
the  outside.  That  there  is  an  outward  sphere 
where  religion  does  show  itself,  we  admit. 
The  test,  that  ' '  by  their  fruits  ye  shall 
know    them,"    we    fully    accept.     The    true 


286  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

Christian  is  faithful  in  all  the  duties  of  life. 
His  sound  judgment  makes  him  to  act  wisely; 
his  sound  conscience  makes  him  to  act  just- 
ly; his  sound  heart  makes  him  to  act  lov- 
ingly. There  is  a  vast  range  of  duty  to 
which  he  attends.  Every  faculty  and  every 
principle  of  action  are  stronger.  There  are 
not  so  many  crosses  to  be  carried.  Habits 
of  holiness  have  been  formed;  and  so  there  is 
a  kind  of  divine  ease  and  pleasantness  in  act- 
ing them  out.  The  outward  life  viewed  from 
a  human  stand -point,  is  to  a  great  extent 
blameless.  Speech  is  well-guarded;  a  no- 
ble truthfulness  touches  every  thing;  obedi- 
ence has  become  somewhat  natural.  Instead 
of  being  unable  to  do  good,  the  person 
finds  himself  unable  to  do  evil.  Apart, 
however,  from  objective  goodness,  there  is 
a  subjective  realm  where  spiritual  character 
is  in  process  of  formation;  and  although  the 
eye  of  sense  can  not  see  the  greatness  of 
the  work  that  is  going  on  there,  yet  it  is 
just  as  certain  as  the  building  up  of  coral 
reefs  in  the  depths  of  ocean.  "The  kingdom 
of  God  Cometh  not  with  observation."  One 
can  not  say,  ''Lo  here!  or,  lo  there!  the 
kingdom  of  God  is  within  you.'' 


Concealed  Greatness.  287 

''What  any  one  means,'^  says  Dr.  Whichcote, 
''is  rather  his  action  than  what  he  does;  for 
in  what  he  meayis  he  hath  absolute  power,  it 
is  wholly  his  own;  in  what  a  man  doth,  he 
may  be  hable  to  engagements  and  force. 
Therefore  we  say  the  mind  of  a  good  man  is 
the  best  part  of  him,  and  the  mind  of  a  bad 
man  is  the  worst  part  of  him;  because  the 
one  hath  more  good  in  his  heart  than  he  can 
perform;  the  other  more  evil  in  his  heart 
than  he  can  execute."*  The  inward  Chris- 
tian is  not  to  be  judged  by  principles  of  sen- 
sationalism. Sound  does  not  sound  him. 
Silence  many  a  time  is  a  better  exponent 
of  his  character.  He  acts  as  well  as  others, 
speaks  as  well  as  others;  but  aside  from  out- 
ward activity  however  good,  there  is  a  world 
of  piety  that  can  not  be  seen.  We  know 
nothing  of  the  heart-repentings,  the  inward 
struggles  that  are  put  forth  to  gain  the  vic- 
tory over  self,  the  longing  for  the  pure  and 
the  divine.  There  is  frequently  a  delicacy 
of  soul  that  we  are  not  aware  of, — the  out- 
ward symbolism  of  life  not  being  sufficient 
to  set  it  forth.  What  do  we  know,  by 
merely  looking  at  the  outside,   of  that  fine 

*  "Aphorisms,"  p.  251. 


288  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

taste  for  holiness, — the  soul  alive  to  the  least 
touch  of  sin,  and  the  utter  pain  and  grief 
when  sin  has  been  committed?  You  can 
behold  the  sun  and  the  clouds,  the  waving 
trees  and  passing  men,  reflected  on  the  face 
of  a  stream;  but  the  great  world  of  emotion 
does  not  show  its  image  in  the  eye,  or  paint 
its  likeness  on  the  countenance.  How  can  I 
tell,  by  looking  at  a  human  being,  of  those 
aspirations  that  travel  around  the  universe, 
that  run  far  upward  to  the  throne  of  God, 
that  centre  themselves  on  him  who  sits  upon 
that  throne  ?  The  strong  faith  that  has  no 
wavering  is  an  invisible  reality,  and  the 
bright  hope  which  beckons  the  spirit  away 
to  its  rest  is  the  hidden  angel  of  the  heart. 
There  are  fine  spirits  whose  goodness  is 
shaded  by  a  cloud  of  sorrow.  They  pass 
through  life,  and  are  never  seen  as  they 
are.  They  leave  us,  only  to  be  known  in 
a  better  land.  The  Lord  has  many  hidden 
ones  in  a  world  like  this.  He  sees  them 
where  wicked  men  see  them  not.  Passed 
aside  they  may  be;  despised  and  put  to 
death  they  may  be;  but  they  are  sons  of 
God  none  the  less.  There  are  streams  of 
benevolence    which   bless  many   a  soul;   but 


Concealed  Greatness.  289 

whose  source  no  one  ever  beholds.  There 
are  plans  of  goodness  so  divine,  that  frigid 
people  pronounce  them  to  be  unwise.  There 
is  an  exactness  in  duty  which  receives  the 
name  of  contractedness,  and  an  attachment 
to  principle  so  unwavering  that  the  person 
who  manifests  it  is  called  stubborn. 

We  are  not  sufficiently  subjective  in  our 
estimates  of  character.  Currents  of  life  may 
be  flowing  through  the  soul,  which  to  us 
are  unknown ;  but  not  unknown  to  God. 
These  currents  of  life  may  turn  many  a 
wheel  of  power,  ending  in  great  blessings 
to  men.  They  may  start  trains  of  thought 
of  infinite  value;  produce  emotion  that  may 
give  character  and  point  to  a  whole  dis- 
course ;  develop  a  spiritual  tendency  that 
may  not  be  lost  for  years;  inspire  a  course 
of  action  that  may  tell  upon  the  destiny 
of  thousands.  The  course  of  action  which 
comes  to  the  light  may  be  all  that  we  see, 
and  we  may  found  our  judgment  altogether 
upon  that;  but  in  the  depths  of  the  soul 
the  chief  power  has  been  at  work,  and  no 
human  eye  beholds  it.  Only  the  Divine 
Being  can  truly  estimate  character,  because 
all  that  is  inward   and   all  that  is  outward 

19 


290  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

stands  present  to  his  view.  There  is  no 
man  who  has  done  a  great  work  for  the 
race  but  who  has  had  his  hours  and  days 
of  thought  and  planning.  The  most  intense 
action  was  that  which  no  eye  looked  upon. 
The  writing  of  a  single  paragraph  or  a  sin- 
gle sentence  may  be  the  result  of  a  holy 
fire  from  G-od,  yet  in  regard  to  the  exist- 
ence of  that  holy  fire  the  wisest  man  may 
not  have  the  least  thought. 

We  speak  of  success  as  if  that  were  wholly 
founded  upon  consequences.  A  man  may 
be  an  eternal  failure,  although  his  footsteps 
glitter  with  gold  and  his  words  sparkle  with 
knowledge.  Many  a  man  is  honored,  be- 
cause favored  circumstances  connect  them- 
selv^es  with  his  life  as  if  they  grew  out  of 
it;  while  many  a  one  is  dishonored,  because 
unfavorable  circumstances  go  before  him  as 
if  they  were  his  own  dark  shadow.  "  One 
of  the  kings  of  Persia,  possessing  a  ring  set 
with  a  valuable  jewel,  went  once  on  a  party 
of  pleasure  with  some  of  his  particular  asso- 
ciates to  Mussula  Shiraz,  and  ordered  that 
they  should  fix  the  ring  on  the  dome  of 
Asud,  with  a  proclamation  that  whoever 
shot    an    arrow    throuo^h    the    circlet    of    it 


Concealed  Greatness.  291 

should  have  the  ring.  It  chanced  that  there 
were  at  that  time  four  hundred  experienced 
archers  attending  him,  whose  arrows  all 
missed:  but  as  a  boy  was  playing  on  the 
terrace  roof  of  the  monastery,  and  shooting 
his  arrows  at  random,  the  morning  breeze 
conducted  one  of  them  through  the  ring. 
The  prize  was  bestowed  on  him,  together 
with  other  rich  gifts."*  In  this  case  it  was 
Providence  that  succeeded,  yet  the  boy  re- 
ceived the  prize.  The  experienced  archers, 
though  they  failed,  were  really  more  suc- 
cessful than  that  fortunate  youth.  A  person 
who  is  ignorant  of  the  theory  and  practice 
of  medicine  may  gain  the  credit  of  curing  a 
dangerous  disease,  when  it  was  nature  itself 
that  did  the  work.  That  man  is  the  most 
successful  in  the  divine  kingdom  who  sets 
in  motion  the  greatest  amount  of  spiritual 
power  for  the  glory  of  God,  whatever  may 
be  the  opinions  or  rewards  of  fallen  mortals. 
Whether  in  sohtude  one  toils  and  travails, 
or  in  the  midst  of  the  busy  crowd  he  strives 
to  elevate  and  to  save,  his  success  is  to  be 
measured  by  a  divine  rule  which  looks  to 
holy  thought,  holy  action,   and  holy  charac- 

•  Sheik  Saadi,   "The  Gulistan  Or  Rose  Garden,"  p.  253. 


292  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

ter.  One  may  spend  a  great  part  of  his 
life  in  examining  the  Greek  article  and  the 
Greek  prepositions,  and  yet  by  that  unap- 
preciated labor  he  may  be  quite  successful 
/in  the  sight  of  Heaven.  The  variety  of  work 
■in  the  system  of  God  is  well  nigh  infinite, 
I  and  he  who  attends  to  any  part  with  wisdom 
'  and  a  pure  heart  is  successful.  He  may  be 
working  deep  down  at  the  foundation  where 
few  care  to  go,  or  he  may  be  finishing  the 
audience  room  of  the  great  temple  of  Je- 
hovah,— in  either  case,  if  he  is  doing  his 
best,  he  is  successful.  It  is  not  so  much 
the  kind  of  labor,  as  it  is  the  way  of  doing 
it,  which  gives  one  character.  An  angel 
Bent  from  the  courts  of  God  to  minister  to 
a  dying  prisoner,  may  be  doing  as  great  a 
work  as  if  he  had  been  called  to  be  one  of 
the  chief  speakers  in  the  congregation  of 
heaven.  There  are  professors  in  our  institu- 
tions of  learning  who  are  concentrating  their 
power  upon  a  few  young  men,  and  by  that 
means  doing  more  for  truth  and  the  kingdom 
of  God  than  many  a  popular  preacher  who 
speaks  to  thousands.  Many  a  great  mind 
has  sowed  the  seed,  and  cared  for  it  till  it 
was  well  nigh  ripe, — then  a  small  mind  has 


Concealed  Greatness.  293 

cut  down  the  harvest,  receiving  the  praise. 
We  may  ascertain  on  the  last  great  day  that 
some  pious  monk  of  the  dark  ages  has  really 
done  more  for  the  race,  than  some  notable 
personage  whom  good  men  love  to  honor. 
It  is  not  place  and  praise  and  wealth  which 
establish  the  fact  of  success,  but  it  is  divine 
toil  and  a  divine  life.  "It  is  said  of  one  of 
the  ancient  painters,  that  although  he  be- 
stowed immense  labor  on  every  one  of  his 
productions  in  the  fine  arts,  he  always  gave 
them  away;  and  being  asked  the  reason  of 
it,  he  replied,  '  They  are  above  all  price.'  '^ 
Yes,  every  form  of  mental  greatness  and 
every  deed  of  love  are  above  all  price.  It  is 
a  very  difficult  thing  to  weigh  souls.  A  child 
that  lives  its  pure  life,  and  then  dies,  may 
accomplish  more  than  the  titled  religionist 
who  reaches  the  age  of  three  score  and  ten. 
Merit  is  success.  It  is  itself  a  good.  God 
sees  it  if  man  does  not.  A  thought  that  has 
in  it  worlds  of  meaning,  an  act  that  will 
brighten  in  its  results  forever,  a  piece  of 
work  that  seems  to  reach  the  ideal  of  the 
angels,  a  prayer  that  is  nothing  but  prayer, 
a  tear  like  that  which  fell  from  the  eye  of 
the    Son   of   God — all   these    are    successful. 


294  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

Merit  is  the  coin  that  passes  in  Heaven.  It 
is  stamped  with  immortahty.  It  has  the  im- 
print of  eternal  youth.  Merit  knows  noth- 
ing of  shame,  for  it  is  beauty  itself.  It  can 
never  be  discouraged,  for  its  foundation  is 
truth.  Our  exact  value  in  the  scale  of  cre- 
ation is  our  merit.  Just  to  the  extent  that 
we  increase  our  well-being,  just  to  that  ex- 
tent do  we  increase  our  worth.  Every  man, 
however,  is  to  be  judged  by  the  use  which  he 
is  to  the  system  of  God.  Paul  and  Pascal 
did  more  for  the  race  than  for  themselves. 
To  reach  out  with  a  kind  of  omnipresence 
of  excellence  is  to  show  our  divine  lineage. 
There  is  a  marked  difference  between  the 
outward  and  the  inward  Christian.  The  one 
fastens  upon  appearances,  loves  the  sense 
element,  prefers  the  fire  to  the  still  small 
voice,  is  charmed  too  easily  by  windy  ac- 
tion and  eloquence.  The  other  demands 
substance  rather  than  show,  delights  in  that 
which  is  spiritual,  feels  that  quiet  and  solemn 
emotion  is  the  most  godlike.  The  piety  that 
is  inward  has  greater  volume  and  tone  than 
any  other.  It  sinks  down  and  touches  the 
most  secret  part  of  our  nature.  It  has  what 
may  be  called  the  principle  of  far-reaching- 


Concealed  Greatness.  295 

ness.  The  subjective  Christian  lives  at  a 
distance  from  himself,  and  so  he  lives  near 
to  God.  He  is  out  of  sight  of  the  common 
run  of  disciples;  they  being  far  too  much 
their  own  followers.  Having  pitched  his  tent 
hard  by  the  gate  of  heaven,  its  glories  reach 
him.  The  period  of  doubt  with  him  has 
come  to  an  end:  there  is  simple  trust.  He 
has  taken  God  at  his  word.  Hope  is  un- 
clouded, and  the  night  is  gone.  Love  is  hke 
a  sun  at  noon. 

An  experience  of  this  kind  is  of  the 
greatest  value.  Life  will  never  be  what  it 
should  be  without  it.  The  soul  will  always 
be  anxious,  fear  will  always  trouble,  until 
assurance  has  the  ascendency.  When  the 
favored  time  has  come,  there  will  be  joy 
such  as  was  never  known  before.  The 
chains  that  have  held  the  spirit  captive  will 
be  broken.  The  steps  are  quick  and  light- 
some. The  religion  of  God  has  become  the 
religion  of  man.  There  is  a  fine  spirit  of 
submission.  This  submission,  however,  does 
not  mean  that  the  finite  is  lost  in  the  Infinite; 
neither  does  it  mean  that  the  will  and  the 
feelings  are  annihilated,  leaving  nothing  but 
the  clear  reason  to  gaze  upon  the  Deity.     It 


296  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

is  not  stoicism  making  man  a  piece  of  iron; 
not  mysticism  making  man  a  piece  of  God. 
Christian  submission  implies  that  the  mind 
yields  itself  up  in  holy  acquiescence  to  the 
Perfect  One.  Let  circumstances  be  what 
they  may,  the  soul  is  satisfied.  The  real 
circumstances  are  those  that  are  spiritual. 

That  character  is  never  complete  which 
is  moulded  mainly  by  outside  forces.  I  care 
not  how  active  one  may  be.  He  may  be 
the  model  of  all  that  is  wanted  in  the  com- 
mon walks  of  life.  Still  if  he  is  led  on  by 
nothing  but  simple  observation  and  visibil- 
ity, he  is  not  a  truly  developed  person. 
He  may  be  called  by  those  around  him  a 
practical  man,  and  may  accomplish  a  great 
deal  in  his  day  and  generation,  but  mere 
practicality  is  not  sufficient.  I  am  well 
aware  that  at  the  present  time  this  style 
of  life  is  much  thought  of.  I  have  no 
doubt,  however,  that  the  great  majority  of 
men  need  a  large  infusion  of  the  ideal  ele- 
ment. This  will  not  make  the  practical  less. 
It  will  rather  give  it  more  real  strength. 
Is  there  not  a  tendency  just  now,  a  very 
strong  tendency,  to  see  nothing  but  facts? 
Is  not  reason  sinking  out  of  sight,  because 


Concealed  Greatness.  297 

of  the  pressure  of  mere  events  that  are  nar- 
rated? The  periodical  hterature  of  the  day 
is  developing  a  new  form  of  mind:  a  form 
of  mind  that  simply  drinks  in  statements  that 
are  made;  the  argumentative,  and  the  ideal 
not  being  cared  for.  There  is  danger  that 
men  will  become  mere  utilitarians.  Every 
thing  has  to  be  weighed  and  measured; 
every  thing  has  to  be  counted  off  and  the 
price  told.  I  am  very  much  afraid  that 
our  whole  church  life  has  received  a  color- 
ing from  this  low  sensational  philosophy.  All 
is  so  attractive  because  it  can  be  seen  and 
heard  and  talked  about.  The  more  we  take 
up  with  this  life  that  nourishes  itself  with 
observation,  practice,  and  mere  chronicling, 
the  more  do  we  sink  Christianity  into  nat- 
uralism. Before  we  are  aware  of  it,  we 
shall  have  nothing  but  a  system  of  pale  mo- 
rality. The  Christian  religion  has  its  glory 
and  value  because  it  has  both  an  ideal  and 
a  factual  basis:  it  takes  in  the  absolute  and 
the  conditioned,  the  seen  and  the  unseen. 
It  runs  on  with  the  highest  and  noblest  phi- 
losophy that  the  world  has  ever  known.  It 
has  to  do  with  the  deepest  emotions  of  our 
nature.     It  links  itself  with   the  loftiest  as- 


298  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

pirations  of  the  soul.  It  carries  forward  the 
man  by  an  energy  which  is  back  of  simple 
nature;  an  energy  which  comes  from  the  one 
supernatural  Being  of  the  universe.  There 
is  nothing  empirical  in  that  higher  life  which 
saturates  and  satisfies  God  -  directed  souls. 
What  we  want  just  now  is  a  more  pro- 
found Christian  consciousness,  a  deeper  re- 
demptive experience.  We  do  not  wish  men 
to  do  less,  but  we  wish  them  to  exercise  more 
their  entire  mental  nature,  to  feel  more  the 
great  verities  of  being,  to  enjoy  more  the 
regal  blessedness  of  salvation. 

I  would  have  men  to  be  in  Christ,  united 
to  God  by  a  divine  life;  and  then,  entering 
into  their  own  spirits,  commune  there  with 
eternal  and  infinite  thoughts.  I  would  have 
them  to  see  that  there  is  a  vast  world  of 
being  within,  far  greater  and  better  than 
that  which  meets  the  eye  of  each  child  of 
the  world.  I  would  have  no  man  to  rest 
satisfied  till  he  comes  into  contact  with  the 
far-reaching  convictions  of  the  human  spirit; 
convictions  which  point  the  mind  away  to 
another  sphere  than  this;  to  other  objects 
than  those  that  belong  to  time.  No  man 
has  waked   up  to  a  consciousness  of  his  ex- 


Concealed  Greatness.  299 

istence  who  has  not  been  moved  and  carried 
away  by  emotions  deep  with  eternal  signifi- 
cance, by  passions  that  are  clearly  limit- 
less in  their  nature,  by  aspirations  that  run 
out  to  a  timeless  Being,  and  by  groanings 
unutterable  which  human  language  can  nei- 
ther measure  nor  define,  which  nevertheless 
have  a  language  of  their  own,  a  soul-speech" 
giving  hints  of  the  First  Fair,  the  Perfect 
One,  the  Absolute  Good.  Our  Christian  life 
will  always  be  weak  and  wayward  until  we 
have  more  of  this  internal  element.  It  will 
never  have  breadth  and  sweep  without  this. 
The  experience  will  always  be  commonplace 
and  somewhat  secular.  There  will  be  no  heav- 
ings  of  soul  which  are  solemn  and  sad  because 
of  vast  conceptions  in  the  mind. 

I  must  say  that  I  love  to  see  an  experi- 
ence so  deep  that  it  has  something  of  the 
indefinite  about  it.  I  mind  it  not  if  the  ideal 
teaching  carries  one  away  into  a  sphere  that 
is  dim  because  of  its  magnitude,  and  eren 
because  of  its  brightness.  I  am  pleased 
when  I  see  creaturely  spirits  looking  down 
the  eternal  deeps  of  heaven,  and  beholding 
clouds  of  glory  measureless  to  man  rolling 
away    in    their    passage    to    God.     I   find    a 


300  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

charm  in  the  grandeur  of  eternal  and  in- 
finite mysteries.  I  have  no  great  sympathy 
for  that  which  is  merely  limited.  Simple 
rationalism  I  do  not  want.  It  is  too  narrow 
and  frigid  for  a  soul  that  was  made  for  eter- 
nity and  God.  I  think  there  is  something 
better  than  that  which  we  can  see;  some- 
thing better  than  that  which  we  can  know. 
I  can  not  be  satisfied  with  mere  facts,  how- 
ever good  and  however  true  they  may  be. 
There  is  a  kingdom  of  truth  which  exists 
before  any  of  the  facts  of  time,  and  but  for 
which  the  facts  would  have  no  meaning. 
There  is  a  great  archetypal  world  made 
and  furnished  by  the  Supreme  Mind.  I 
would  have  men  live  there  more  than  they 
do.  Life  will  never  be  grand  and  divine 
unless  it  is  started  and  guided  by  celestial 
ideals.  The  thought  of  a  law  that  is  eternal 
and  that  admits  of  no  change;  of  a  holiness 
so  pure  that  no  sin  can  ever  touch  it;  of  a 
spiritual  beauty  that  far  exceeds  the  exter- 
nal beauty  of  the  universe;  of  a  scene  of 
order  that  is  only  realized  in  the  Godhead; 
of  a  blessedness  that  is  without  any  limita- 
tion,— these  conceptions  enlarge  the  soul  and 
give  power  to  its  life. 


Concealed  Greatness.  301 

We  are  not  to  be  dazzled  by  a  showy 
materialism.  The  greatest  powers  in  the 
universe  are  invisible.  God  is  greater  than 
he  appears  to  be.  We  need  more  of  an  in- 
ward meditative  life.  Outward  rush  and 
outward  goodness  are  taking  the  place  of 
deep  and  holy  thoughtfulness.  Are  men  not 
beginning  to  love  that  piety  which  has  the 
covering  of  earthliness  thrown  over  it  ?  The 
covering  may  be  fine  or  coarse  as  the  taste 
requires.  It  may  be  ornamented  with  gold 
or  silver,  or  it  may  be  plain.  Still  the  earth- 
liness is  there  none  the  less.  Unless  I  am 
greatly  mistaken,  there  is  a  wisdom  floating 
about  which  can  be  called  by  no  other  name 
than  tact  and  compromise, — the  attempt  to 
sweeten  the  gospel  and  make  it  palatable  by 
encouragements  given  to  ease,  and  flatteries 
paid  to  pride.  It  does  seem  as  if  the  phi- 
losophy of  making  men  pleased  with  them- 
selves had  reached  its  utmost  limit,  and  there 
was  need  of  continuous  waves  of  truthful- 
ness to  wash  them  upon  some  rock,  that 
there  they  may  see  themselves  as  they  are. 
I  wish  men  to  be  wiser  and  better  than  they 
appear  to  be.  I  would  do  nothing  to  in- 
crease a  fictitious  life,  but  I  would  do  much 


302  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

to  help  forward  that  kmd  of  piety  which 
hke  an  artesian  well  is  ever  streaming  forth, 
while  its  deep  fountain  is  never  seen.  I 
am  glad  that  there  are  retiring  natures  who 
stay  with  us  for  a  season  and  then  pass  away, 
whose  greatness  is  never  known.  They  seem 
like  strangers  tarrying  with  us  during  the 
short  day  of  our  toil,  and  when  the  sun 
goes  down  they  disappear.  The  beauty  of 
their  soul  we  saw  not  as  they  went  about 
with  us.  Grieams  of  greatness  streamed  forth 
from  them  as  they  were  departing,  and  we 
think  of  them  now  as  being  lofty  and  lovely 
in  another  land.  There  are  scholarly  and 
Christian  minds  who  never  j&nd  this  world 
just  the  place  that  they  want.  The  flower 
that  is  planted  here  never  grows  with  free- 
dom. Its  beauty  will  only  be  seen  in  the 
climes  of  God.  I  think  the  Saviour  is  the 
ideal  and  representative  of  our  theme.  How 
much  of  hidden  greatness  he  possessed ! 
There  was  no  rule  by  which  he  could  be 
measured,  no  scales  by  which  he  could  be 
weighed.  His  thoughts  only  reached  us  like 
the  travelling  echoes  of  God.  They  seemed 
like  the  harmonies  of  glory  that  were  dying 
away  as  they  went  along  the  eternal  years. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

BLESSEDNESS  AS  FLO  WING  FROM  THE  RELIGION 
OF  CHRIST. 

A  LTHOUGH  happiness  is  not  the  ulti- 
mate good,  yet  unless  that  which  is 
called  the  ultimate  good  ends  in  happiness, 
we  may  well  look  upon  it  with  suspicion. 
"We  have  a  right  to  judge  of  the  religion 
of  Christ  by  its  tendency  to  produce  joy. 
If  its  natural  and  necessary  result  is  misery, 
or  if  it  generates  less  joy  than  some  other 
form  of  life,  we  may  safely  condemn  it.  The 
case,  however,  is  as  near  to  self-evidence  as 
any  one  could  wish,  that  religion  and  bless- 
edness go  hand  in  hand. 

I.  Blessedness  from  right  Emotion. 

There    is   nothing  within  the   whole   com- 
pass of  mind   that  is  higher   than  religious 
emotion;  nothing  that  produces  such  an  ex-i 
alted  happiness.     The  leading  faculties,   the 
great  truths,  the  divine  persons,  all  seem  to 


304  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

work  together  in  the  formation  of  pure  feel- 
ing and  pure  joy.  However  much  a  person 
may  have  been  captivated  with  inferior  pleas- 
ures during  the  days  of  his  worldliness,  he 
now,  when  a  Christian,  perceives  that  the 
chief  blessedness  is  found  in  pious  emotion. 
He  realizes  the  truthfulness  of  the  Bible 
statement:  ''To  be  spiritually  minded  is 
life  and  peace ^  This  is  life  in  the  highest 
sense,  including  within  itself  all  good,  and 
that  forever;  and  the  peace  that  belongs  to 
it  is  that  divine  repose,  called  by  the  sig- 
nificant name  'Hhe  peace  of  God." 

What  joy  springs  from  the  sense  of  free- 
dom. The  simple  fact  that  the  will,  which 
has  been  held  to  a  course  of  disobedience 
for  years,  is  now  made  obedient — that  is 
blessedness.  A  new  channel  of  joy  has  been 
opened  by  this  means  around  the  soul. 
Wherever  the  liberated  will  goes,  there  goes 
with  it  an  exalted  pleasure.  The  very  sound 
of  its  footsteps  is  happiness,  and  the  beating 
of  its  pulse  of  life  is  joy.  The  vast  num- 
ber of  original  acts  of  goodness  that  have 
appeared  since  the  will  was  delivered  from 
its  bondage,  and  the  host  of  sins  that  have 
been    trampled    under    foot   since    the    same 


Blessedness.  305 

redemptive  moment,  awaken  a  multitude  of 
pleasant  emotions.  There  are  habits  of 
righteousness  which  maintain  a  solid  peace, 
and  pure  states  of  soul  that  are  instinct 
with  joy.  Passions  and  propensities  do  not 
master  the  will  as  formerly.  The  power  of 
holy  necessity  is  felt  to  a  certain  extent, 
and  this  composes  the  mind. 

Love  itself  is  joy.  It  is  doubtful  whether 
there  is  another  feeling  of  the  soul  which, 
in  its  movement,  is  so  much  like  happiness 
as  love.  To  say  that  we  love  the  good,  is 
to  say  that  we  delight  in  it.  If  an  object 
pleases  me,  I  have  an  affection  for  it:  if  I 
have  an  affection  for  an  object,  it  pleases 
me.  Love,  then,  is  blessedness;  from  its  na- 
ture it  forms  a  heaven.  And  inasmuch  as 
it  takes  in  the  highest  excellency,  and  is 
really  the  most  comprehensive  feeling  of 
the  soul,  it  furnishes  a  joy  that  is  ineffable. 
"Desire  and  delight,"  says  John  Howe,  "  are 
but  two  acts  of  love,  diversified  only  by  the 
distance  or  presence  of  the  same  object: 
which,  when  'tis  distant,  the  soul,  acted  and 
prompted  by  love,  desires,  moves  towards 
it,   pursues   it;  when   present    and    attained, 

delights  in  it,  enjoys  it,   stays   upon  it,  sat- 
20 


3o6  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

isfies  itself  in  it,  according  to  the  measure 
of  goodness  it  finds  there.  Desire  is  there- 
fore love  in  motion;  delight  is  love  in  rest."  * 
Whatever  may  be  the  kind  of  love  that  is 
exercised,  it  is  embosomed  in  happiness. 
Let  one  be  grateful  for  a  favor  received, 
inclined  to  love  the  giver  more  than  the 
gift,  in  such  a  case  there  is  joy.  To  be  in 
a  constant  state  of  thankfulness  is  to  be  con- 
stantly happy.  If  a  feeling  of  holy  sympa- 
thy is  exercised,  that  sends  vibrations  of 
pleasure  through  the  heart;  and  if  the  soul 
goes  forth  in  universal  good-will,  it  has  a 
divine  joy.  If  our  kindness  extends  to  those 
who  hate  us,  forgiving  and  blessing  at  the 
same  time,  we  have  a  w^ealth  of  happiness. 
We  should  bring  ourselves  to  that  point 
in  our  spiritual  history  when  religious  emo- 
tion shall,  so  to  speak,  engross  our  atten- 
tion. There  is  a  vast  number  of  things 
connected  with  our  earthl}^  condition,  which 
will  be  stripped  from  us  the  moment  we 
leave  the  body.  It  is  surely  not  wise  to 
allow  these  mundane  characteristics  to  grasp 
the  immortal  spirit.  When  the  ransomed 
soul  enters  eternity  it  will  be   compelled  to 

*  "Blessedness  of  the  Eighteous,"  chap.  iv. 


Blessedness.  307 

face  pure  emotion,  that  being  the  prime 
reahty.  If  deUght  is  not  found  in  that,  it 
will  not  not  be  found  anywhere.  In  a  state 
of  marked  singleness  the  naked  spirit  shall 
live  in  the  region  of  mind;  each  hour  as  it 
passes  making  the  life  of  emotion  the  one 
life.  We  should  test  and  try  ourselves  while 
here,  in  order  to  see  whether  our  chief  de- 
light is  found  in  simple  spiritual  realities. 
Although  the  Christian  soul  while  in  the 
body  has  many  material  interests  which 
occupy  its  attention,  and  many  things  which 
tend  to  render  doubtful  the  supremacy  of 
the  religious  principle,  yet  when  that  soul 
is  freed  from  its  prison,  it  will  hasten  to 
God  by  the  force  of  spiritual  gravitation, 
the  ascendency  of  holiness  showing  itself 
at  once.  In  the  region  of  souls  matter  will 
be  nothing:  mind  with  its  goodness  and 
blessedness  will  be  all. 

"It  is  not  in  that  he  is  a  man,'^  says 
Aristotle,  "that  any  one  enjoys  this  life, 
but  in  so  far  as  there  is  any  thing  divine  in 
him."  That  soul  which  has  the  greatest 
amount  of  the  divine  will  have  the  greatest 
amount  of  holy  emotion  and  blessedness. 
When   we    take    into    consideration    the    as- 


3o8  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

cending  scale  of  finite  minds  tliroughout 
the  universe,  the  highest  minds  must  differ 
exceedingly  from  the  lowest  in  the  quality 
of  fineness.  Some  natures  may  have  such 
delicacy  about  them,  such  divinity,  that 
their  enjoyment  is  far  beyond  any  thing 
that  we  can  imagine.  There  may  be  minds 
which  from  the  very  beginning  of  their 
history  spring  forth  into  unwonted  excel- 
lence, and  during  all  their  upward  course 
live  in  a  region  of  joy  that  is  far  beyond 
any  that  we  can  ever  experience.  They 
are  cut  out  of  such  fine  material,  formed 
as  it  were  of  the  life  and  radiance  of  God, 
that  they  seem  to  live  in  a  divine  sphere,  the 
nearest  to  the  Deity  of  any  of  the  creatures 
that  he  has  ever  made.  G-reat  volumes  of 
love  and  gladness  move  across  their  being, 
as  if  the  pulsations  of  God  thrilled  them, 
and  as  if  his  beatitudes  went  through  their 
soul,  furnishing  a  joy  that  is  unspeakable 
and  full  of  glory. 

II.  Blessedness  from  right  Activity. 

The  soul  was  evidently  designed  for  ac- 
tion. It  is  always  occupied.  Even  during 
hours    of   what   we    call    idleness,    it   is   not 


Blessedness.  309 

idle.  It  is  thinking  about  this  or  that,  feel- 
ing about  this  or  that.  We  can  not  make 
the  soul  not  to  act.  It  will  keep  working 
whatever  we  may  do.  The  mind  has  con- 
tents and  materials  of  its  own;  and  these  it 
will  use  when  it  can  find  nothing  else  to 
use.  The  imagination  will  be  forming  its 
ideas  into  new  shapes;  building  castles  one 
hour,  and  demolishing  them  the  next.  The 
law  of  association  is  intensely  active.  Deeds 
long  forgotten  are  remembered,  and  emo- 
tions once  felt  are  felt  over  again.  It  is 
astonishing  how  the  mind  will  work.  It 
is  assuredly  a  power;  a  force  acting  for- 
ever. 

If  we  watch  men  we  can  see  they  have 
the  consciousness  that  joy  comes  from  activ- 
ity. They  will  tell  you  that  they  always 
feel  the  happiest  when  they  are  doing  some- 
thing. If  they  have  no  special  work  on 
hand,  they  will  invent  that  which  will  take 
the  place  of  it.  They  will  start  some  amuse- 
ment, will  converse  with  each  other,  will 
visit,  will  rush  off  into  what  is  called  pleas- 
ure, will  read  the  news  of  the  day,  will 
dream  and  plan  and  hope  as  fancy  dictates. 
Let  thinking  be  of  the  right  character  and 


3IO  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

carried  to  the  right  extent,  and  a  very 
sweet  peace  will  be  the  result  of  it.  Let 
the  will  be  the  faithful  executive  of  the 
soul,  governing  and  guiding  all  its  move- 
ments in  the  way  of  righteousness,  and  as 
a  matter  of  certainty  the  purest  kind  of  joy 
will  settle  down  upon  it.  Let  any  man 
spend  a  whole  day  in  working  for  Grod, 
self-forgetful  during  all  that  time,  and,  as  a 
consequence,  happiness  must  come  to  the 
soul  like  the  Sabbath  of  heaven.  The  very 
light  as  it  darts  through  space  seems  to  be 
happy.  The  stars  sparkle  in  the  evening 
sky  with  gladness.  The  planets  wheel  their 
way^  without  any  jar  as  if  they  were  the 
chariots  of  God.  The  great  systems  jour- 
ney onward  forever,  peace  bearing  them 
company  in  their  march.  All  these  seem 
to  image  forth  that  joy  which  comes  to 
active  souls. 

When  we  speak  of  the  activity  of  man, 
that  may  mean  less  or  more,  according  as  it 
is  moderate  or  rapid.  If  the  joy  is  to  be 
rich,  there  must  be  great  force  about  the  ac- 
tivity. If  the  mind  is  profoundly  occupied 
with  the  most  exalted  themes,  and  intent 
upon   the    highest    style    of   weU-doing,    the 


Blessedness.  311 

blessedness  will  be  both  great  and  pure. 
If  there  is  nothing  but  a  species  of  medi- 
ocrity about  the  soul's  movements,  the  joy 
will  partake  of  that  quality.  To  an  un- 
critical observer,  every  thing  about  the 
mind  and  the  man  may  seem  to  be  in  good 
condition;  there  may  be  a  tangibleness  and 
pleasantness  connected  with  all  that  is  done; 
but  the  difficulty  may  be  that  the  action  is 
too  feeble,  and  the  joy  too  insipid  in  its 
quality.  Christian  knowledge  and  Christian 
life  may  be  so  popularized  that  they  will 
neither  have  heights  nor  depths  about  them. 
Viewing  thought  and  character,  however,  as 
two  great  activities,  they  must  swell  out  into 
living  mountain  ranges,  forming,  in  fact,  pal- 
aces, cathedrals,  and  mansions  of  life  in  the 
soul,  and  not  the  mere  level  plains  of  good- 
ness and  peace.  There  are  surely  philo- 
sophic and  saintly  eminences  where  the  soul 
may  have  fore-tastes  of  heavenly  glory,  and 
where  ineffable  joys  are  felt  as  they  could 
be  felt  nowhere  else.  The  total  activity  of 
the  average  Christian  mind  has  not  sufficient 
power  and  compass,  and  the  joy  has  not 
that  celestial  flavor  which  should  always 
characterize  it.     When  good  souls  strike  out 


312  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

upon  their  march  m  the  great  kingdom  of 
eternity,  what  a  volume  of  power  they  will 
call  into  exercise,  and  how  divine  the  bless- 
edness as  they  sweep  along  the  infinite 
spaces  of  life !  The  joy  of  heavenly  minds 
will  resemble  the  joy  of  Grod;  there  being 
no  motion  of  pain  during  all  the  passage  of 
endless  time.  Saved  men  will  have  entered 
upon  a  new  and  wondrous  life;  the  entire 
soul  will  thrill  with  power;  the  highest  form 
of  benevolence  will  be  exercised;  and  a 
happiness  will  be  enjoyed  that  reaches  the 
true  standard  of  excellence. 

III.  Blessedness  from  right  Passivity. 

There  is  such  a  thing  as  righteous  being  as 
well  as  righteous  doing.  For  instance,  to  be 
humble, — how  much  of  peace  that  brings  to 
the  soul !  Then  to  be  gentle  and  meek, 
amiable  and  quiet,  uncomplaining  and  teach- 
able,— what  a  wealth  of  character  is  found  in 
these  holy  states  of  mind,  and  how  pure  the 
repose  which  results  from  them !  Indeed, 
when  one  thinks  of  the  matter,  he  is  led  to 
decide  that  passive  goodness  is  the  very  sub- 
stratum and  heart  of  all  true  peace.  A  per- 
son who  is  chiefly  active,  having  but  a  small 


Blessedness.  313 

amount  of  passive  spirituality,  is  not  a  true 
man,  neither  does  he  have  that  volume  of  joj 
which  belongs  to  the  well-balanced  mind. 
There  are  times  when  we  wish  to  be  let 
alone,  wish  to  be  quiet;  and  during  such 
seasons  we  seem  to  be  bathed  in  a  heavenly 
fountain  of  peace.  The  moments  glide  away 
as  if  they  were  the  echoes  of  Grod,  and  the 
angels  seem  to  converse  with  us  in  the  lan- 
guage of  souls. 

There  are  fine,  serene  days  when  we  want 
to  sit  down  upon  the  bank  of  a  stream  and 
watch  it  as  it  flows  by  us,  looking  at  the 
scenery  around,  and  feeling  quite  happy  with 
all  that  we  behold.  The  very  idea  of  rest 
seems  to  bring  along  with  it  the  idea  of  quiet- 
ness. Xoise  disturbs  us;  as  if  we  wanted  to 
dwell  in  a  serene  land;  far  away  from  the 
tumults  of  life;  at  peace  with  God  with  noth- 
ing to  annoy.  We  love  a  quiet  Sabbath  day, 
as  if  with  such  a  day  we  come  near  to  the 
rest  that  we  need.  How  saintly  men  have 
calmly  wondered  at  the  life  of  Christ !  The 
beauty  of  that  life;  its  freedom  from  all  wild- 
ness;  the  praying  through  the  long  night;  the 
gentle  speech  to  children  and  men;  the  mys- 
terious sorrow  that  always  hung  around  him; 


314  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

his  sweet  submission;  his  strange  death, — 
how  all  these  affect  us  and  soften  us  just 
by  putting  ourselves  in  a  line  with  them ! 

Men  who  have  toiled  for  years  at  some 
calling  think  of  a  time  when  they  shall  re- 
tire from  business.  They  are  thus  feeling 
round  for  the  quiet  joy  which  they  need. 
There  is  a  craving  in  all  souls  for  repose; 
and  they  shall  never  be  well  till  they  find 
it.  They  keep  dreaming  about  it;  having  an 
inkling  of  the  place  where  it  dwells.  We 
think  of  men  reaching  home  after  a  long 
absence,  of  the  sick  gaining  health  when  the 
balmy  days  of  spring  are  come,  of  the  per- 
secuted finding  peace,  and  the  dying  Chris- 
tian finding  rest  in  the  bosom  of  God.  When 
we  see  a  ship  anchored  in  a  quiet  bay  after 
a  stormy  passage,  we  think  of  the  joy  that 
comes  to  souls  in  a  region  of  calmness  and 
silent  life. 

Surely  there  is  a  time  when  the  healthy 
mind  can  rest.  I  can  not  think  that  we  were 
"  made  simply  for  ceaseless  labor, — under  the 
stretch  and  strain  of  eternal  toil.  There  is  a 
passive  season  of  great  enjoyment,  when  the 
beatitudes  of  glory  circulate  through  our 
whole  being,  and  no  want  disturbs  us  during 


Blessedness.  315 

the  passage  of  the  silent  hours.  We  seem  to 
enter  mto  the  rest  of  God,  and  the  peace  that 
passeth  all  understanding  comes  to  the  soul. 
The  great  difficulty  with  the  human  spirit 
'  upon  earth  is,  that  we  can  not  stop  and  look 
into  it  with  any  degree  of  comfort.  We  only 
become  conscious  of  our  unhappiness  and  sin 
when  we  try  to  live  in  the  soul.  Hence  men 
rush  into  outward  activities,  keep  the  mind 
fixed  upon  them,  finding  in  that  way  that 
they  lose  sight  of  the  unrest  of  the  soul. 
Now,  surely,  this  can  not  be  the  right  way. 
I  must  reach  a  point  when  I  can  feel  hap- 
py in  communing  with  my  own  spirit.  I 
must  be  able  to  look  into  every  chamber,  go 
through  every  hall,  try  and  test  every  part 
of  my  nature,  and  find  that  happiness  meets 
me  wherever  I  go  and  wherever  I  stay. 
The  idea  that  I  must  steadily  gaze  at 
some  outward  object,  as  the  only  way  to 
escape  from  inward  misery,  is  a  fearful 
thought.  This  is  mere  deception;  simply 
living  in  the  midst  of  the  unreal.  The  soul 
must  be  cured:  then  to  look  into  it  will  be  a 
sweet  joy.  The  men  who  are  in  Heaven  are 
not  men  who  have  to  turn  the  wheels  of 
action  eternally,  in  order  to   enjoy  peaceful 


3i6  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

emotions.  They  can  abate  during  some  di- 
vine hour.  They  can  face  themselves  dur- 
ing that  hour.  They  can  see  and  feel  that 
all  is  right  within.  Resting  in  the  midst  of 
finished  being,  they  can  find  rest. 

TV.  Blessedness  from  the  Attainment  of 
A  RIGHT  End. 

The  insects  that  play  in  the  air  on  a  sum- 
mer's day  seem  to  be  happy.  We  naturally 
think  that  they  have  reached  some  end,  and 
as  a  consequence  of  it  are  touched  with  joy. 
When  we  walk  through  a  garden  and  see  the 
flowers  that  are  smiling  there,  and  catch  the 
sweet  perfume  that  fills  the  surrounding  air, 
we  have  an  impression  that  these  flowers  have 
attained  a  distinct  end,  and  so  in  their  own 
way  they  are  in  a  state  of  peace.  A  tree  that 
is  full  of  blossoms,  and  by  and  by  is  full  of 
fruit,  we  look  upon  as  an  image  of  a  good 
soul,  and  can  not  help  thinking  that  that  tree 
has  a  kind  of  native  gladness  about  it.  The 
birds  that  come  to  us  in  the  spring  and  stay 
with  us  through  all  the  summer,  have  a  cer- 
tain round  of  duties  which  they  perform  in 
that  time,  and  in  all  that  round  of  duties  they 
evidently    have    a    great    deal    of   pleasure. 


Blessedness.  317 

They  attend  to  their  young  with  wonderful 
care;  and  when  they  have  moments  of  rest, 
they  sing  most  sweetly  the  hymn  which  God 
taught  them.  The  bee  that  toils  so  faithfully, 
must  also  be  toiling  pleasantly.  Having  found 
the  treasure  that  it  wants,  it  rests. 

What  a  fine  consciousness  one  has  when 
he  realizes  that  the  great  question  of  life  is 
settled.  The  soul  has  committed  itself  into 
the  hands  of  the  Infinite  Redeemer.  It  is 
now  set  for  an  eternal  life  by  all  the  steadi- 
ness of  an  absolute  choice.  Comprehending 
this  state  of  things,  there  is  peace.  A  heavy 
burden  has  dropped  off  from  the  soul :  there 
is  the  feeling  of  relief.  One  seems  to  him- 
self as  if  he  had  just  begun  to  live.  The 
nightmare  of  life  is  gone.  The  void  of  the 
soul  is  partly  filled.  The  whole  nature  seems 
to  feel  the  eff'ect  of  the  great  change,  as  if 
spring  had  suddenly  come  after  the  long  win- 
ter, and  the  golden  day  after  the  night  of 
darkness.  Throughout  all  the  city  of  the 
soul  there  is  joy.  The  bells  ring.  The 
sound  of  pleasant  music  falls  upon  the  ear. 
Prayer  ascends  and  praise.  God  listens  and 
loves.  A  divine  benediction  comes  down 
upon   the    soul.     "I   was    so    happy,"    says 


3i8  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

Bogatzky,  "that  I  would  have  been  wiUing 
to  remain  shut  up  in  my  closet  during  life, 
provided  I  could  frequently  enjoy  such  sea- 
sons. A  true  light  sprang  up  in  my  soul, 
and  I  then  learned  that  Christianity  was 
something  living,  powerful,  blessed,  and  al- 
together different  from  the  world's  notion 
of  it."  * 

There  is  the  joy  which  connects  itself  with 
pardon.  To  realize  that  the  collective  sins 
of  the  past  are  gone,  is  most  blessed.  To 
feel  that  as  far  as  law  is  concerned,  we  are 
tuo  same  as  if  we  had  always  kept  it;  that 
the  angels  in  heaven  are  not  more  secure 
than  the  justified  soul, — to  feel  thus  is  hap- 
piness. To  accept  of  the  entire  salvation  of 
the  Godman  is  to  enter  into  joy,  very  much 
as  if  one  had  entered  into  heaven.  Kot  only 
is  the  past  emptied  of  its  sin,  but  the  future 
is  emptied  of  its  terror.  As  memory  looks 
back,  it  is  soothed  with  the  balm  of  life :  as 
conscience  looks  forward,  it  is  calmed  by  the 
Peacemaker  of  men.  Faith  and  Hope  go 
hand  in  hand  through  the  journey  of  time : 
the  one  quieting  the  soul  in  the  midst  of  the 

*  Hagenbach,  ''Hist  of  the  Church  in  the  18th  and  19th  cent- 
Tiries,"  vol.  i.,  p.  137. 


Blessedness.  319 

storm — the  other  pointing  with  the  finger  to 
the  open  gates  of  heaven. 

Whenever  we  undertake  any  great  work, 
and  persevere  till  it  is  finished,  we  in  such 
a  case  feel  happy.  If  we  have  labored  for 
months  to  lead  a  man  to  Christ,  and  finally 
he  trusts  himself  in  the  hands  of  that  great 
person,  we  are  full  of  joy.  If  in  spite  of 
much  opposition  we  have  been  able  to  start 
an  organization  that  will  benefit  the  bodies 
and  souls  of  men,  we  are  delighted.  If  we 
have  conquered  a  leading  sin,  or  have  bro- 
ken up  some  vicious  habit,  we  are  happy  in 
the  attainment  of  such  an  end.  If  by  skill 
and  industry  we  have  saved  a  sufficiency  of 
money  upon  which  to  live,  and  now  during 
the  remainder  of  life  can  simply  work  for 
God, — an  end  so  good  as  that  will  be  ex- 
ceedingly pleasant.  If  we  have  written  a 
book  after  years  of  labor,  and  that  book 
will  bless  men  when  we  are  dead,  there  is 
much  joy  in  the  realization  of  such  an  end. 
When  Dr.  Adam  Clarke  had  finished  his 
commentary  on  the  Bible,  he  added  these 
words : — 

'♦Like  travellers,  when  they  see  their  native  soil, 
Writers  rejoice  to  terminate  their  toil." 


320  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

If  I  set  out  to  visit  a  country  that  I  have 
never  seen,  but  by  reason  of  some  catastro- 
phe I  never  reach  it,  I  am  disappointed  and 
grieved.  If  I  enter  upon  a  branch  of  busi- 
ness, but  fail  in  it  because  men  have  de- 
ceived and  defrauded  me,  I  can  not  be 
pleased.  Even  if  I  have  a  great  thought 
that  is  shaded  with  uncertainty,  I  am  trou- 
bled. If  I  have  longings  of  soul  that  are 
not  met  by  a  suitable  object,  I  am  unhappy. 
I  can  see  that  my  nature  craves  something 
of  infinite  moment,  and  if  that  something 
is  not  found  I  am  restless.  If  my  soul  is 
always  burdened,  feverish,  and  faint,  I  have 
not  reached  the  great  end.  Joy  is  simply 
the  bright  conclusion  of  goodness :  grief  is 
simply  the  dark  conclusion  of  sin. 

There  is  a  seeming  pleasure  which  may  arise 
from  an  end  that  was  supposed  to  be  within 
our  reach.  The  soul  is  in  the  midst  of  a 
dream.  While  the  dream  lasts,  all  appears 
real.  The  person  may  seem  to  himself  to 
be  sailing  down  a  beautiful  stream,  expect- 
ing to  reach  his  home  at  the  close  of  the 
day.  The  banks  are  covered  with  verdure. 
Flocks  of  sheep  are  feeding  upon  the  sides 
of  the '  hills.     Quiet  villages   are   seen   here 


Blessedness.  321 

and  there  in  the  distance.  Hard  by  are  the 
ruins  of  an  ancient  city,  and  an  artist  is 
sketching  the  scene  from  the  top  of  a  rock. 
Birds  of  gay  plumage  are  flying  around. 
Groups  of  men,  women,  and  children,  are 
seated  in  the  midst  of  a  grove,  and  a  psalm 
of  praise  like  to  that  which  they  sing  in 
heaven  falls  upon  the  ear.  An  extended 
highway  stretches  onward,  along  which  hap- 
py companies  are  walking.  The  sun  has 
passed  its  noon.  The  heat  scorches  not. 
The  air  is  pleasant.  The  person  is  still  sail- 
ing down  the  stream.  A  cloud  covers  the 
sky.  The  wind  blows.  A  mighty  cataract 
is  at  hand.  Down  that  the  man  is  swept. 
He  is  lost;  lost  in  the  midst  of  a  dream. 

Whenever  we  reach  the  permanent  we  rest.^ 
There  are  few  things  that  so  impress  the 
mind  in  regard  to  the  present  state,  as  the 
fact  of  change.  Nothing  seems  to  abide. 
"We  hve  upon  the  surface  of  a  decayed 
world.  The  perishable  is  inscribed  upon  it, 
and  upon  the  heavens  that  are  over  it. 
There  is  a  fickleness  in  the  hopes,  wishes, 
and  opinions  of  men.  We  demand  that 
which    is    fixed.      Eternal    truth, — how    the 

soul    can    build    upon    it!      An    immutable 
21 


322  Christ  AND  HIS  Religion. 

promise, — how  comforting  to  the  troubled 
mind!  The  everlasting  God, — how  the  trust- 
ing spirit  can  rest  on  him !  Unchanging 
goodness, — how  it  satisfies  the  soul !  Only 
that  which  is  at  rest  can  give  rest.  The 
true  and  the  divine  have  a  peace  of  their 
own,  and  so  they  quiet  the  mind. 

If  we  attain  to  the  beautiful  in  Christian- 
ity, there  is  peace.  The  happiness  which 
springs  from  this  source  does  not  seem  to 
be  boisterous:  it  is  rather  tranquilizing  in 
its  nature.  The  texture  of  it  is  fine  and  fin- 
ished. We  can  say  that  the  soul  is  pleased ; 
that  a  sweet  composure  has  settled  down 
upon  it;  that  a  divine  serenity  spreads  over 
it.  Purity  of  heart  is  not  dazzling,  but 
chaste  and  refined. 

Y.  Blessedness  from  a  right  State  op 
Oneness. 

Every  intelligent  person  knows  what  pleas- 
ure there  is  in  finding  a  principle  that  will 
unite  a  number  of  apparently  contradictor}^ 
things.  Simplicity  and  pleasure  are  con- 
nected with  the  study  of  trees  and  flowers, 
because  so  many  of  them  can  be  reduced 
to  one  leading  characteristic.     It  is  the  same 


Blessedness.  323 

with  the  study  of  the  animal  creation.  There 
appears  to  be  no  end  to  the  variety  of  beasts, 
birds,  insects,  and  fishes ;  yet  they  are  all 
classified  according  to  a  few  simple  princi- 
ples. As  to  the  human  race  with  all  their 
differences  of  color,  form,  language,  and  lo- 
cation, we  yet  find  that  **  God  has  made 
of  one  hlood  all  nations  that  dwell  upon  the 
face  of  the  earth."  In  fact  all  theological 
and  philosophical  systems  are  feeling  round 
for  a  principle  of  unity.  The  mind  is  eager 
to  escape  from  confusion  and  disharmony. 
What  a  wonderful  manifestation  of  single- 
ness is  the  law  of  gravitation:  no  particle 
of  matter  free  from  its  power.  The  dust 
that  enters  the  infant's  eye  and  the  most 
distant  planet  that  sails  in  solitude  through 
space,  alike  governed  by  this  one  principle. 
What  a  relief  also  to  the  serious  mind  that 
wherever  we  look  and  wherever  we  go,  we 
simply  find  one  God.  The  satisfaction  we 
thus  have  when  we  reach  oneness,  shows 
how  well  it  suits  our  nature. 

Let  the  soul  be  in  a  state  of  oneness  with 
itself,  and  it  will  as  matter  of  course  feel 
happy.  As  the  Christian  man  struggles  to 
overcome  pride  and  selfishness,  evil  thoughts 


324  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

and  malicious  feelings,  he  approaches  unity. 
The  effort  to  bear  up  under  the  trials  of  hfe, 
to  be  quiet  in  the  midst  of  provocation,  to 
resist  the  tempting  influences  of  a  day,  pre- 
pares the  soul  for  that  pure  state  which  ends 
in  peace.  Every  holy  action  performed  and 
prayer  offered;  each  act  of  repentance  and 
act  of  faith;  the  courage  that  inspires  and  the 
hope  that  cheers;  the  noble  purpose  and 
the  longing  after  righteousness, — all  lead  to 
oneness.  The  fact  that  the  various  faculties 
are  animated  by  one  divine  life,  gives  prom- 
ise of  victory.  The  chief  powers  of  the  mind 
are  thus  leagued  together.  They  seek  one 
common  end.  When  there  is  a  single  gov- 
erning principle  in  the  soul,  this  will  natur- 
ally draw  all  the  other  principles  to  it  as 
to  a  centre.  Opposite  forces  will  in  course 
of  time  lose  their  strength.  They  will  be 
brought  to  a  stand.  They  will  change  mas- 
ters, and  submit  to  ultimate  authority.  They 
will  move  pleasantly  around  the  great  cen- 
tre. The  severed  parts  will  come  together 
again.  There  will  be  oneness,  and  along 
with  that  wholeness:  no  mental  and  moral 
schism  any  more.  The  soul  is  one,  as  Adam 
before    the    fall,    as   Christ  in   his  purity,    as 


Blessedness.  325 

God    in    his    love.     The    result    of    this    is 
blessedness. 

There  is  such  a  thing  as  proportion.  When 
we  look  at  a  human  body  we  see  nothing 
one-sided.  The  arms  are  of  the  same  length; 
the  hands  are  shaped  alike;  one  eye  does 
not  differ  from  another;  one  side  of  the  face 
does  not  project  outward,  while  the  other 
side  sinks;  the  whole  body  is  finely  balanced. 
In  all  the  animal  races  the  same  fact  of 
symmetry  appears.  In  the  plant  kingdom 
there  is  also  a  complete  order  in  the  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  different  organisms.  Even  in 
the  formation  of  crystals  the  most  beautiful 
kind  of  proportion  is  manifested.  A  grain 
of  salt,  a  drop  of  rain,  a  flake  of  snow, 
the  icicles  hanging  pendant  from  the  trees 
on  a  winter's  morning,  all  point  to  a  princi- 
ple of  oneness.  Perhaps  the  different  rays  of 
light  are  modelled  according  to  a  law  of  ce- 
lestial order,  being  a  kind  of  divine  images  of 
well-proportioned  souls.  Surely  the  human 
spirit  needs  to  be  right  on  every  side.  A 
great  intellect  with  feeble  emotion,  or  great 
emotion  with  a  feeble  intellect,  strikes  us 
badly.  We  demand  that  every  part  and  fea- 
ture of  the  mind  shall  be  properly  balanced. 


326  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

Having  gone  as  far  as  this,  the  soul  must 
now  be  in  a  state  of  oneness  with  God.  He 
is  the  chief  good.  The  creaturely  spirit  is 
an  insipid  and  meaningless  thing  when  liv- 
ing away  from  him.  As  the  soul  was  fash- 
ioned for  Grod,  and  bears  about  with  it  a 
divine  likeness,  it  can  not  feel  well  without 
him.  Its  human  and  temporal  side  is  noth- 
ing. The  mere  natural  tie  which  binds  the 
creature  to  the  Creator  can  neither  start 
purity  nor  peace.  Development  in  blessed- 
ness is  no  more  possible  than  development 
in  holiness  while  the  soul  is  estranged  from 
God. 

Every  faculty  must  be  in  a  state  of  unison 
with  the  Deity.  The  intellect  must  be  satis- 
fied with  the  truth  of  Grod.  Many  of  the 
divine  ideas  are  bright,  and  many  are  dark. 
With  the  one  class  we  are  pleased,  and  with 
the  other  class  we  are  perplexed.  This  shows 
that  there  is  not  complete  harmony  between 
the  mind  of  man  and  the  mind  of  Grod.  Even 
though  we  may  know  but  little  respecting 
an  Infinite  Being,  yet  if  that  little  is  sound, 
the  soul  works  in  a  healthy  manner.  True 
blessedness  is  not  possible  with  false  con- 
ceptions.    There  is  such  a  thing  as  intellect- 


Blessedness.  327 

ual  joy,  the  repose  of  a  well-balanced  un- 
derstanding, the  fruition  that  comes  to  the 
logical  and  intuitional  faculties  when  they 
find  nothing  but  eternal  truth.  If  now  the 
feelings  are  brought  into  a  state  of  oneness 
with  God,  how  divine  the  blessedness  of  the 
soul!  Every  feeling  matching  with  every 
truth;  rounded  and  intensified  by  every  truth, 
— the  heart  therefore  full  of  joy.  Let  the 
will  now  be  ready  to  answer  to  the  demands 
of  pure  emotion,  and  peace  will  follow  as 
matter  of  consequence  from  the  working  of 
that  faculty.  The  will  taking  the  entire  soul 
and  giving  that  to  God  is  blessedness.  The 
Divine  Being  is  now  ''the  unending  end.'' 

The  perfected  soul  is  also  in  a  state  of 
oneness  with  the  holy  intelligences  of  heaven, 
and  by  that  means  the  joy  is  complete. 
They  work  and  worship  together  with  the 
utmost  harmony;  and  through  the  whole  of 
the  eternal  day  they  shall  be  one  without 
any  break.  They  may  rise  higher  and  higher 
in  their  separate  personalities,  branch  off  in 
different  directions  as  their  minds  lead,  still 
no  schism  appears  in  the  great  family  of 
God.  In  sweetest  peace  they  abide  through 
all  the  years.     Heart  beats  responsive  with 


328  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

heart,  and  soul  touches  soul  in  the  glori- 
ous commonwealth  of  the  celestial.  Whether 
they  walk  beside  the  river  of  God,  or  watch 
and  wait  at  the  city  gates  of  life,  or  fly  on 
some  great  embassy  to  distant  worlds,  they 
still  are  one.  Whatever  the  offices  they 
hold,  differing  as  souls  differ,  no  envy  eats 
into  any  heart,  nor  does  jealousy  trouble 
any  spirit  among  them  all.  Contention  for 
place  and  power  is  seen  not  there.  Each 
goes  where  wisdom  sends,  and  dwells  in 
peace  where  love  delights  to  stay.  Some 
are  quite  royal  in  their  flights,  as  if  with 
the  noblest  they  could  fly  and  weary  not; 
reaching  the  great  kingdoms  of  light,  the 
highest  that  are  found  among  the  realms 
of  God.  Others  lower  down  are  pleased  to 
live  and  love,  working  there  in  sacred  min- 
istry as  time  runs  by.  No  meanness  char- 
acterizes any  soul  or  any  sphere.  The  low- 
est are  kings  and  priests  to  God:  the  highest 
are  never  more  than  that.  No  line  of  discord 
is  seen  on  any  face,  nor  murmur  of  discon- 
tent heard  from  any  lip.  The  joy  of  the 
Lord  sparkles  in  every  eye,  and  hope  beck- 
ons the  spirit  onward  without  a  cloud.  They 
are  all  dwelling  in  the  midst  of  day,  dwelling 


Blessedness.  329 

in  the  midst  of  love;  so  that  disunion  can  not 
find  a  corner  in  which  to  grow  in  any  soul. 

Whatever  is  pleasant  upon  earth  will  be 
heightened  in  pleasantness  in  heaven.  Our 
purest  friendships  will  be  still  purer  there. 
'No  fine  trait  will  be  lost,  no  truth  left  be- 
hind, no  beauty  that  will  not  embellish  the 
souls  of  the  saved.  The  collective  purity 
and  blessedness  of  time  is  but  a  dream  of 
heaven.  How  souls  will  rest  when  they 
enter  the  country  of  God !  No  darkness  will 
cloud  them,  nor  fear  annoy  them  through  all 
their  days.  They  will  be  ascending  forever 
on  the  wings  of  love,  and  joy  shall  warm 
their  heart  in  all  their  journey  of  peace. 
No  pain  shall  wound  them  as  they  pass  on- 
ward, but  they  shall  be  happy  with  the  hap- 
piness of  God,  and  life  shall  be  before  them 
through  the  ceaseless  years.  Whether  in 
companies  or  alone,  the  soul  shall  be  at  rest. 
The  time  will  pass  away  in  the  midst  of 
gladness,  for  the  eternal  day  shall  be  full 
of  God.  His  light  shall  be  in  their  souls, 
and  hope  shall  ever  be  shining  above  them 
like  a  sun.  They  shall  faint  not  again,  nor 
be  sad.  The  burden  of  sin  is  gone,  and  per- 
fect joy  is  found. 


330  Christ  and  his  Religion. 

Blessed  state  !  How  in  our  toil  and  battle 
we  long  to  reach  it.  Contradictions  strike 
into  us;  confusion  surrounds  us;  we  long  for 
the  unity  and  repose  of  the  endless  life. 
How  in  our  dreams  we  think  of  that  divine 
age  of  bliss,  and  of  the  people  who  fellow- 
ship in  peace  in  the  temple  of  the  Lord. 
Their  worship  has  no  imperfection,  their 
work  no  weariness,  their  joy  no  pain.  They 
will  keep  on  with  the  march  of  infinite  time; 
and  when  a  small  eternity  has  rolled  away 
they  will  be  great  with  the  greatness  of  God 
Heaven  will  be  always  around  them,  always 
within  them,  and  so  they  live  and  rest  in 
the  midst  of  eternal  goodness. 

All  hail,  thou  wondrous  Christianity !  What 
blessedness  thou  bringest  to  souls !  Age  weak- 
ens not  thy  power.  Eternal  youth  is  stamped 
upon  thy  brow.  Men  have  sought  thy  de- 
struction; but  thou  hast  no  death.  Thou  hast 
quickened  into  life  uncounted  millions;  giving 
them  hope  in  the  hour  of  despair,  and  joy  to 
gladden  them  through  all  the  length  of  their 
way.  The  most  wicked  thou  hast  changed 
with  thy  love;  making  them  bright  with  the 
glory  of  the  Lord,  and  citizens  of  a  kingdom 
that  shall  never  end.     When  we   enter  the 


Blessedness.  331 

valley  of  death  thy  voice  shall  comfort  us, 
and  thy  smile  shall  radiate  around  our  souls. 
Crossing  the  river  thou  shalt  be  with  us;  con- 
ducting us  home  to  the  palace  of  life;  making 
us  complete  for  evermore.  Noble  rehgion  of 
the  Crucified!  I  devote  my  all  to  thee.  May 
my  eye  lose  its  lustre,  my  tongue  its  speech, 
my  arm  its  strength,  if  I  forget  thee.  Thou 
art  all  that  I  have.  I  sink  into  eternal  dark- 
ness without  thee.  Christ  and  Christianity 
are  my  stay.     I  want  no  more. 

[13  £i  * 


THE    END. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
BERKELEY 

Return  to  desk  from  which  borrowed. 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


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LD  21-100m-9,'48(B399sl6)476 


